BJP to raise Tamil Nadu’s fishermen killing in parliament

CHENNAI - The BJP Sunday slammed the DMK-led government in Tamil Nadu and the Congress-led UPA government at the centre for “inaction” on the issue of Indian fishermen being killed by the Sri Lankan Navy in the Bay of Bengal, and said it will raise the issue in parliament.

BJP president Nitin Gadkari, in a statement here, said the party strongly condemned the killing of Indian fishermen, and added it was alarming to note that more than 500 fishermen had lost their lives to the bullets of the Sri Lankan Navy.

Gadkari, who was here to attend a party programme, said two fishermen from Tamil Nadu were killed by the Sri Lankan Navy personnel last fortnight.

“BJP has taken a serious note of the situation and would raise the issue in and outside parliament,” he said, adding that the fishing community and people of Tamil Nadu was anguished over the inaction of the DMK-led government in the state and the insensitive and casual attitude of the Congress-led UPA government at the centre.

The budget session of parliament begins Feb 21.

Gadkari also took the state government to task, saying the lack of administration in the state was visible and it was appalling to note one industry after another seeking destinations outside the state.

He said the automobile industry, which developed around Sriperumbadur, was unsure of its sustainability for reasons extraneous to the market constraints.

“The failure of the state government in addressing these outstanding critical issues has resulted in this industry looking for greener pastures elsewhere. Skilled labour, which is in abundance in Tamil Nadu, are at the risk of loosing their jobs,” the BJP chief said.

Gadkari said the BJP believed Tamil Nadus fullest agricultural and industrial potential could be realised if a permanent solution was found for its perpetual water shortage by inter-linking rivers.

He asked the Karunanidhi government to borrow an idea from Narendra Modi’s Gujarat government and interlink the state rivers.

“The secret of Gujarats agricultural success has been the efforts taken by the BJP-led government in the state to inter-link its rivers. The state has so far inter-linked 14 of its rivers to Narmada. The BJP would like to reiterate its position that this would be one of the first things it would address if it is elected to power (in the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls in May this year),” he said.

Hitting out at both the Tamil Nadu and the central governments, Gadkari said the Congress-DMK combine was a failure in controlling the prices of essential commodities, despite being in power for long.

“Being in power, both at the centre and the state the Congress-DMK combine has failed to control the rising prices. This rise in prices of essential commodities has made the life of common man miserable,” he added.

He also attacked the Manmohan Singh government for its reluctance in disclosing the names of those holding accounts in tax havens abroad.

“The BJP has been continuously raising the issue of black money stashed away in tax heavens abroad. The UPA governments reluctance in disclosing the names of account-holders in the guise of double taxation law raises more questions about the sincerity of the government in handling the issue,” he said.

“The BJP recognises that projects of national importance, which have waited for decades for want of resources, can be taken up immediately if this money is brought back,” he added.