DMK readies arsenal ahead of new session

CHENNAI: The DMK is all set to take on the state government on various issues raised by the students and youths across the state, especially on the Marina during the assembly session scheduled to begin Monday.
TOI spoke to several party MLAs at the hunger fast venue as well as senior leaders on Saturday and most of them say the protests show that people are angry with the state government for its non-performance on various fronts.The party wants answers from the government on issues like Cauvery, drought, Cyclone Vardha and jallikattu which are also raised by the students. As temperatures soared at the protest venue, just a few kilometers from the assembly, the party hopes the government will give them a hearing this session. The assembly is meeting for the first time after the death of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa.
On the jallikattu issue, the party will defend itself stating that for two years in 2012 and 2013 when UPA government was in power, jallikattu was held in Alanganallur and other areas. “It is only due to the AIADMK government which did not take any steps to lift the ban on the sport, we could not hold it. The same ordinance could have been passed earlier,” said a senior DMK MLA.
“We have been asking for answers from the government both in the assembly or outside on issues raised by the students on Marina as well as in other districts in the last few days. But there has been no answer from the government when Jayalalithaa was chief minister or now. We will raise all these issues in the coming session,” said the MLA.