War of words widens PMK-DMK schism

Dec 13, 2007, 16:04 GMT

Chennai, Dec 13 (IANS) With the ruling DMK and one of its main allies, PMK, taking diametrically opposite stands on the issue of an educational trust, the schism between the two parties has widened further.

Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister Arcot N. Veerasamy and PMK founder S. Ramadoss have accused each other of twisting the matter out of context.

The bone of contention is the Vanniar Education Trust (a deemed university) built on 14.20 hectares of land in two villages, Olakkur Keezhpaadhi and Nallaathur. The trust serves the cause of the Vanniar community, to which Ramadoss belongs.

Veerasamy has alleged that the institution has gobbled up government owned cultivable land where paddy and casuarinas plantations thrive - a charge Ramadoss has denied.

However, the government has not denied that backward class students study in the college free of cost.

'I am merely pointing out the fact the college is built at the cost of cultivable and encroached lands. It is not my intention to find fault with the efforts of Ramadoss to establish an educational institution. Now, it is up to Ramadoss to take the appropriate decision - whether to retain the land or not,' Veerasamy said Thursday.

Known for speaking his mind bluntly, Ramadoss reacted within hours by saying, 'Veerasamy is only speaking out of frustration. He is not able to admit the fact that while the state was unable to provide free education, a trust run by our party is achieving it.'

A few months ago, the government's proposal for a satellite township near Chennai on agricultural land was scrapped after the opposition, including Ramadoss, raised objection to the project.

The PMK has also taken a strong stand against the distribution of goodies like free television sets and dry rations virtually free of cost.

'Instead of raising the standards of life in the state in general, the government is spreading more poverty,' Ramadoss said.

The PMK is giving outside support to the minority DMK regime and has been maintaining that it will ensure the government lasts its full tenure till 2011.

Out of 235 seats in the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly, the DMK has 96 seats (including that of the speaker). It is being propped up by the Congress (35), PMK (18), Communist Party Marxist (9), Communist Party of India (6) and Dalit Panthers of India (2).

© 2007 Indo-Asian News Service