OPS wants DMK MLA’s remarks expunged

Ten days after DMK legislator and Kongunadu Makkal Desia Katchi’s E.R. Eswaran made a statement in the Assembly over the use of Jai Hind, AIADMK coordinator O. Panneerselvam on Sunday expressed regret over the incident and urged Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to take steps to expunge the remarks from the House records.

In a five-page statement, Mr. Panneerselvam urged the Chief Minister to focus on promises made in the DMK’s election manifesto on reducing fuel prices, dropping gold and educational loans, besides securing an exemption for Tamil Nadu from the ambit of NEET for medical admissions and other people-related issues.

He also took a dig at the DMK government by referring to Mr. Stalin’s statement on July 19, 2019, in the Assembly that when the latter’s party came to power, they would not only do what was promised, but also things that were not. “The usage of the term ‘Union government’ and the absence of Jai Hind are probably among those that were not promised,” he said.

Rejecting Mr. Stalin’s justification in the Assembly over the use of the term “Union government” to refer to the Centre, saying that India was a union of States, Mr. Panneerselvam contended, “As per the Constitution of India, designed by its chief architect B.R. Ambedkar, ‘Union’ refers to India, which is a combination of various parts and not the Indian government. So, union of States means it is a Union comprising various States.”

He rejected Mr. Stalin’s justification that “Union government” was used by former Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai, freedom fighter Ma. Po. Sivagnanam and the last Governor-General of India and former Chief Minister of the erstwhile Madras State C. Rajagopalachari, contending that they used it to refer to federalism and not the Indian government.

The Constitution refers to the Indian government as the “Government of India”, and hence, it is appropriate for any party to use “Government of India” when referring to a government that rules the country, Mr. Panneerselvam said in the House. He added that even former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had used the term “Government of India”.

‘Not beneficial to T.N.’

“Instead of maintaining cordial ties with the Centre and ensuring that the State’s rights are protected and livelihood issues are met, the government is belittling the Centre by calling it the Union government and this is not beneficial to the people. This is not acceptable,” he said.

Referring to Mr. Eswaran’s statement that Tamil Nadu had held its head high with the absence of the term “Jai Hind” in the Governor’s address, Mr. Panneerselvam said: “Is this appropriate? Is this is line with the country’s integration? These are the questions from the people of Tamil Nadu.”