Days after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay announced free official vehicles for every legislator in the state, the opposition DMK on Friday rejected the offer, citing the state’s mounting debt.
“The TVK government wants to splurge public money on luxury, which is not a priority. Now, how will they fulfill this promise? Annadurai asked. He challenged the TVK-led government’s consistency, pointing out that the administration has frequently highlighted the state’s financial distress since taking office.
“Since the TVK government has been saying from day one after assuming power that the government is in debt, all 59 DMK MLAs have decided not to avail this offer. Earlier reporting noted: Tamil Nadu Car War: DMK Rejects Vijay’s Free Vehicles, Government Clarifies Tamil Nadu Car War: DMK Rejects Vijay’s Free Vehicles, Government Clarifies Tamil Nadu Car War: DMK Rejects Vijay’s Free Vehicles, Government Clarifies Earlier reporting noted: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay’s announcement of free cars to all 234 MLAs of the state has triggered a massive showdown with the Opposition DMK. Earlier reporting noted: Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin announced that all 59 DMK legislators have decided not to avail the offer.
We urge the government to provide free cars to MLAs only after verifying their election affidavits, whether they already own cars and what their financial status is,” Udhayanidhi said. “The CM said that the state coffers were wiped out when he took charge as the CM. “I am pleased to announce that vehicles will be provided by the government to all members of the legislative assembly,” the CM said. “The government running an honest administration without bribery must fulfil the basic needs of its members,” he added.
Earlier, DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai criticised the proposal, saying the government should not spend public money on what he described as a luxury that was not a priority.
Responding to DMK, Minister Adhav Arjuna defended the move, saying the Chief Minister intended to treat all MLAs equally. Leader of Opposition (LoP) Udhayanidhi Stalin said all 59 DMK legislators had decided not to avail Vijay’s offer, news agency ANI reported. In a suo motu response to Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) MLA LE Jothimani’s request on August 12 for a vehicle, after she found it difficult to travel to the Secretariat every day, the CM said several MLAs do not own a personal vehicle, making it difficult for them to inspect and review constituency work.
He pointed out that many MLAs from smaller parties such as the VCK and Communist parties are in poor financial condition, and said cars are not a luxury but a basic need for them to visit all areas in their constituencies, the report added.
