CHENNAI: A day after chief minister C Joseph Vijay made agesture mocking his predecessor M K Stalin’s electoral defeat, VCK leader TholThirumavalavan on Wednesday said it was “unbecoming” of the CM post andappealed to Vijay to uphold and safeguard the tradition of the Tamil Naduassembly and the dignity of the CM post. CPM state secretary MVeerapandian said the CM’s “remark and gesture are unacceptable.”Referring to the parables and his sarcastic remarks, targeting leader of theopposition and DMK chief Stalin, the VCK leader said such comments should beavoided even on party platforms. They were completely out of place in thelegislative assembly, Thirumavalavan said in a social media post. He urgedVijay to preserve the traditions and decorum of the House in future.The CPM state secretary echoed the sentiment, stating that defeat and victoryare common. Even Vijay can taste defeat electorally. “The CM’s remark andgesture are unacceptable and, most importantly, those who hold important postsshould maintain decorum,” Veerapandian said.However, Speaker J C D Prabhakar justified Vijay’s hand gesture in the assemblyafter he replied to the motion of thanks to the governor’s speech. He said itdid not account for a breach of the House’s decorum.It may be recalled that the Speaker had asked the members of the House onMonday not to mock or mimic fellow members in order to maintain decorum. Hemade these remarks after videos surfaced showing legislators on the oppositionbenches mimicking members of the treasury benches.GOLD RING SCHEME The VCK chief questioned the govt’s decision to launch Thaimaman Thanga Mothira Thittam scheme, providing one gram gold rings to newborns delivered in govt hospitals at an annual cost of Rs 755 crore to fulfil a TVK poll promise.
VCK leader Thol ThirumavalavanHe said the allocation would be better spent on upgrading maternity wards in govt hospitals with modern facilities and adequate medical staff. Pointing out that 56% of deliveries take place in govt hospitals and 44% in private hospitals, he said, “Many poor families continue to prefer private hospitals despite spending Rs 50,000 to Rs 2.5 lakh because of concerns over the quality of care. Strengthening public healthcare will benefit all sections of society.”He opposed the govt’s decision to privatise sanitation work in all municipal corporations. He recalled a similar move during the previous DMK regime in a few Chennai corporation zones and said it was withdrawn following opposition from the VCK and other parties. Adopting such a practice and extending across the state would go against the welfare of sanitation workers, who risk their lives every day, he said, urging the govt to immediately withdraw the proposal.
