DMK says 'no' to TVK govt's free car offer for MLAs over Tamil Nadu's mounting debt crisis
Udhayanidhi Stalin also urged the administration to scrutinise the election affidavits of all the legislators and restrict government transport allocations strictly to those who are in need and are economically disadvantaged
The DMK has rejected Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay's offer of free cars and a financial package for MLAs, citing concerns over the state's deteriorating fiscal health and mounting debt. Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin announced that all 59 DMK MLAs would decline the offer and proposed a review of transport allocations to ensure they benefit only economically disadvantaged individuals.
The DMK has rejected Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay's offer of free cars and a financial package for MLAs, citing concerns over the state's deteriorating fiscal health and mounting debt. Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin announced that all 59 DMK MLAs would decline the offer and proposed a review of transport allocations to ensure they benefit only economically disadvantaged individuals.
The DMK has rejected Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay's offer of free cars and a financial package for MLAs, citing concerns over the state's deteriorating fiscal health and mounting debt. Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin announced that all 59 DMK MLAs would decline the offer and proposed a review of transport allocations to ensure they benefit only economically disadvantaged individuals.
Tamil Nadu chief minister C. Joseph Vijay’s free car offer and the financial assistance package to the MLAs was rejected by the DMK on Friday, citing the state’s fiscal health.
A heated argument erupted in the state assembly on Friday after the Leader of Opposition (LoP) Udhayanidhi Stalin said that the DMK officially rejected the government’s free car offer to the legislators, citing the state’s mounting debt crisis. He announced that all 59 DMK MLAs have decided not to avail the offer.
Udhayanidhi also urged the administration to scrutinise the election affidavits of all the legislators and restrict government transport allocations strictly to those who are in need and are economically disadvantaged.
Earlier this week, Vijay had announced that the government will give free cars and a special financial package of ₹1 lakh for fuel and payment for assistants of the MLAs. The treasury benches applauded the announcement and a few of the TVK legislators sang songs in the assembly as a note of thanks. TVK MLA Sabari Iyngaran thanked CM Vijay, saying that he commutes in an auto to the secretariat every day, and it is a constraint as the police stop him at the entrance. However, the affidavits of legislators like Iyangaran who own more than one car went viral on social media. When the reporters questioned this, Iyangaran just walked away saying “thank you.”
Meanwhile, LoP Udhayanidhi also urged Vijay to make public the corruption files against the previous DMK regime which the CM claimed to be lying on his table. Speaking during the debate and raising various issues, Udhayanidhi took a dig at the CM, saying that the assembly is not the place for delivering dialogues.
“Don’t deliver dialogues in the assembly,” he said. Asking when is the appropriate time that the CM is waiting to reveal the corruption files, the LoP said, “I urge him to open the files immediately and take action if there’s solid evidence of corruption. Why is the CM hesitant to release the files? Is he waiting for his astrologer to fix the date?”
However Vijay did not respond to the challenge while the treasury benches upped the ante and a few of the ministers replied.