India News | Don't Claim Credit for Our Efforts, AIADMK Tells DMK

Chennai, Jan 11 (PTI) The AIADMK in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday accused its rival, the ruling DMK, of trying to take credit for initiatives of its previous government and claimed the 11 medical colleges slated to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 12 in the state was one such instance.

Also Read | CBSE CTET Admit Card 2021 Released At ctet.nic.in; Here Are Steps To Download The Hall Ticket.

Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister K Palaniswami said the Bhumi Puja (foundation stone laying event) for the construction of these institutions was done during the previous AIADMK regime and that he himself had attended them.

Also Read | Piyush Goyal Holds Meet With His Bhutanese Counterpart, Discusses Ways to Boost Bilateral Trade.

The new medical colleges that are to be virtually inaugurated by the PM on Wednesday are being established at an estimated cost of about Rs 4,000 crore, of which around Rs 2,145 crore has been provided by the Centre and the rest by the Tamil Nadu government. The districts where the colleges are being established are Virudhunagar, Namakkal, Nilgiris, Tiruppur, Tiruvallur, Nagapattinam, Dindigul, Ariyalur, Kallakurichi, Ramanathapuram and Krishnagiri.

In a statement on Tuesday, Palaniswami said the "Amma government secured Central approval for the 11 medical colleges in a single year and allotted funds" for the same.

While he had attended the Bhumi puja functions in all 11 districts, "Union Health Minister" did so in some others, he said in an apparent reference to then Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan.

"I am indeed happy that the Prime Minister is slated to virtually inaugurate the 11 medical colleges on January 12," he said and thanked the Centre for granting the colleges to the state on "Amma government's request" that will lead to creation of an additional 1,450 medical seats where the 7.5 per cent reservation for rural students, heralded by his government, would also be implemented.

"I have come to know that this (DMK) government is trying to paste a sticker as if to show that these colleges were brought by it. I strongly condemn this on behalf of the AIADMK," he said.

Even in the matter of 27 per cent OBC quota in All India Quota in medical admissions, which was upheld by the Supreme Court last week, the AIADMK joint coordinator said it was his party that first moved the Madras High Court, followed by his party's arch rival and later the PMK.

But the DMK was creating an impression as if it had spearheaded the struggle in the quota issue, Palaniswami charged.

Citing instances in investment and certain other sectors as well, he claimed they were the results of his government's efforts which the DMK tried to paint as its own.

"This government should at least henceforth stop claiming ownership for somebody else's child and come out with their own schemes for the welfare of the people of Tamil Nadu," Palaniswami added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)