BJP has destroyed the MGNREGA scheme: TNCC president Manickam Tagore

Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president B. Manickam Tagore on Wednesday criticised Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran for raking up The National Herald case while continuing to support BJP-led Central government’s moves to “destroy” Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme by changing the Centre-State financial ratio and the Mekedatu dam issue despite Tamil Nadu Congress strongly opposing the move by the Congress government in Karnataka.

In a statement, Mr. Tagore said that Mr. Nagendran must provide an answer to the issue of misappropriation of donation funds at the Ayodhya Ram temple and the financial injustice meted out to Tamil Nadu.

“By changing the Centre-State funding ratio from 90:10 to 60:40, you are imposing an additional financial burden of ₹5,000 crore on Tamil Nadu while depriving rural poor people of their rights. This scheme is equivalent to “killing Mahatma Gandhi for the second time!” Is this what you call “development for all”?” he asked, adding, “the Special Investigation Team has exposed that between ₹6-8 lakh in donation money was allegedly being stolen every day from the Ayodhya Ram Temple Trust. Is this your definition of being “corruption-free”? Why are you silent about the irregularities in the Dwarka Expressway project and the Ayushman Bharat scheme exposed by recent CAG reports?,” he questioned.

He further said, “It is amusing that Nainar Nagendran, who heads BJP that has been completely rejected by the people of Tamil Nadu and has failed to establish any foothold in the State, has the audacity to mock the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee’s stand on the Mekedatu issue. The people of Tamil Nadu are watching this and laughing.

“Everyone knows that whether Karnataka is ruled by the Congress or the BJP, Tamil Nadu’s voice on the Cauvery water dispute has never been given due consideration. I think Nainar Nagendran has forgotten that when the BJP was in power in Karnataka, Chief Ministers B. S. Yediyurappa and Basavaraj Bommai repeatedly declared they will definitely build the Mekedatu Dam. The people of Tamil Nadu have not forgotten that Yediyurappa even came up to the Tamil Nadu border to stage a protest demanding the construction of the Mekedatu Dam,” the Congress leader said.