DMK government will introduce prohibition if voted to power, Karunanidhi declares releasing the party manifesto for May 2016 general elections to state assembly

Taking on Jayalalithaa on the prohibition plank, her bête noire, DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi on Sunday promised total prohibition if voted to power and said his government would give a slew of benefits to each and every section of the populace.

For the youth, the 92 year old leader promised free internet and for poor people who could not afford, free mobile phones would be given.

Free rice scheme now under implementation in the state would continue, Karunanidhi said adding that milk would be added to the free food given to the students.

The most important one being waiver of farm loans to address the grave distress the marginal farming community was undergoing, Karunanidhi said amid cheers from his party supporters who packed the headquarters in Chennai. Farmers would also get 750 units of power free of cost and for weavers it would be 200 units free of cost.

In the same breath, the DMK supremo also promised similar help the small scale sector industries that were hit by the economic situation arising out of government policies. Releasing the party’s manifesto for May 16 assembly polls, running into 72 pages, Karunanidhi took particular care to remind the people of the steep rise in milk prices when Jayalalithaa government came to power by promising to reduce price of milk, sold through Aavin, by Rs 7 per litre. The import of this promise is not lost on political analysts who see in Karunanidhi’s promise a criticism of some decisions taken by Jayalalithaa.

Yesterday, Jayalalithaa took on the DMK saying that it had absolutely no business or right to talk about prohibition as it was the DMK that lifted prohibition from Tamil Nadu in the first place. She had predicted that the prohibition promise was coming in the DMK manifesto and said that it does not matter what the DMK promised as it never fulfills its promises.

Responding to that, Karunanidhi declared that the DMK government will enforce total prohibition in the state and relocate the TASMC employees in other government departments. Among the slew of welfare measures and populist promises were construction of houses for the people belonging to the fishing community. The DMK leader also said efforts will be initiated to retrieve Katchatheevu from Sri Lanka, which is now the bone of contention and which is where Tamil fishermen are arrested by Sri Lanka and boats confiscated.

And then playing the Tamil card, Karunanidhi said efforts would be made to give importance to Tamil in central government offices too.

His government, he said would also make all efforts to conduct ‘Jallikattu’ and ‘rekla’ race, which have been banned following a Supreme Court order.

Trying to remind the people of the recent devastation caused by floods in Chennai, the DMK manifesto promised to spend an amount of Rs 10 crore in Chennai and neighboring districts to disilt all water bodies and lakes.

For economic development, Karunanidhi promised to build an industrial corridor from Chennai to Hosur.

Senior DMK leaders M K Stalin, K Anbazhagan, Kanimozhi, Dayanidhi Maran and T R Baalu were present.