DMK accuses AIADMK of stalling Parliament to help BJP

DMK chief M K Stalin Wednesday accused the AIADMK MPs of creating ruckus in Parliament to help the BJP-led central government and demanded Chief Minister K Palaniswami to instead take constructive steps to get cyclone relief for Tamil Nadu.

A day after Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP, Derek O'Brien accused the BJP of using its 'ally' AIADMK to disrupt Parliament, Stalin accused the AIADMK of having an ulterior motive in stalling Parliament.

"The AIADMK MPs are creating ruckus in the Parliament with an ulterior motive of helping the BJP-led Centre...they are not even ready to pressurise the Centre by taking part in the discussion on cyclone Gaja," Stalin alleged.

More than 25 days have lapsed since a Central team inspected Tamil Nadu and it does not seem to have submitted its recommendations to the Centre, the DMK leader said.

Also, the Union government has also not allotted funds to Tamil Nadu to tide over the devastation caused by the cyclone, he added.

The chief minister and AIADMK Ministers should exert "enormous pressure" on the Centre to immediately get cyclone relief for Tamil Nadu, he said.

"Instead of stalling Parliamentary proceedings by being a protective buffer for the BJP, I urge Palaniswami and the AIADMK MPs to take constructive steps to get cyclone relief funds for Tamil Nadu," he said.

The DMK chief wanted agriculture and educational loans in cyclone hit districts including Pudukottai and Nagapattinam waived.

He demanded distribution of relief assistance at the local level in the presence of representatives of all parties.

While AIADMK MPs have been protesting over the Cauvery issue in both the Houses of Parliament, they were joined by their DMK counterparts in the Rajya Sabha on the same issue ever since the Parliament convened for the winter session on December 11.

The protests are against Karnataka's proposal to build a dam at Mekadatu across the Cauvery river.