DMK slams AIADMK over Centre rejecting Metrorail projects in TN

Chennai, Nov 21 (PTI) The ruling DMK on Friday slammed the opposition AIADMK for allegedly "failing" to fight the BJP-led Centre to get metro rail projects for two cities in Tamil Nadu.

DMK leader TKS Elangovan was responding to claims by Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the assembly, R Udhayakumar, that former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa was instrumental in mooting the Metro project proposal.

“Let them claim that they belong to Jayalalithaa; we have never said that they are our projects. We only say that Metro should come (to Coimbatore and Madurai). But when they claim the projects, they should, in fact, be fighting with the BJP,” Elangovan told PTI Videos.

He said the opposition party is only focused on claiming credit for a proposal, rather than engaging in the necessary political battle to secure the Centre's approval.

The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs recently returned the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for both the Coimbatore and Madurai Metro Rail projects to the Tamil Nadu government, citing that the population in both cities is less than 20 lakh as per the 2011 Census.

According to Elangovan, the current leadership of AIADMK does not care about Jayalalithaa or M G Ramachandran.

“Jayalalithaa said that we will never have any partnership with the BJP, but these people have fallen at the feet of the BJP,” he added. PTI JR VGN ROH