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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai on Sunday shared a part of the speech of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) minister T R Baalu and said this was the reason for seeking dissolution of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department.
Sharing the video clip on Twitter, Annamalai said: "DMK men take pride in demolishing 100-year-old Hindu temples. The very reason we want the HR&CE dissolved and want temples freed from the clutches of government." https://twitter.com/annamalai_k/status/1619610680407257088?t=_gIWj_U6Bl15it0lKhP8aA&s=08 As the subtitles of the part of the speech shared by Annamalai read, TR Baalu had said in Madurai: "100 years old temple, I am the person who demolished it. In my hometown, in my constituency Saraswati temple, Lakshmi Temple and What's the other god? Parvathy Temple, these 3 temples in my constituency are located at GST Road. These 3 temples were demolished by me. I know that I wouldn't get votes for it. But I also know how to get votes from the people. Votes would never pour in, never demolish temple, my friends lamented"... DMK leader Baalu made the alleged remarks on Friday while criticising BJP-led government for halting the Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project, during an event organised in Madurai. A grand waterway project straddling India and Sri Lanka, the Sethusamudram project proposes to connect the Palk Strait with the Gulf of Mannar. The project is seen as key to bringing economic prosperity to the state and the country. Commissioned in 2005, the project came to a halt in light of protests by rightwing groups claiming that the project may harm the 'Ram Setu' bridge, which is believed to have been built by Lord Ram to reach Sri Lanka. On January 13, Annamalai said the Sethusamudram waterway project would only benefit a few shipping companies owned by leaders of the ruling DMK. The BJP leader posted a series of tweets, hitting out at Chief Minister MK Stalin and voicing opposition to the Sethusamudram project. Annamalai took to Twitter saying, "(The) BJP conducted a press meeting to clarify to the people of Tamil Nadu how @CMOTamilnadu misled the assembly with half-truths and lies about the Sethu Samudram Project. Accepting the resolution should not be misconstrued as an acceptance of Alignment 4a." "BJP stated categorically that we will not let this project proceed under alignment 4a (Destruction of Ram Setu will not be allowed for the execution of this project)," Annamalai posted. He added that the fact-finding team commissioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to study the feasibility of the project, is yet to make its submission on Ram Setu. Targeting CM MK Stalin, the BJP state unit chief said the latter ignored a Tsunami expert's advice and continued with the project. "@CMOTamilnadu also ignored the advice of Tsunami expert Prof Tad S Murthy, who said destruction to Ram Setu could cause a Tsunami in this region," Annamalai said, adding that former CM J Jayalalithaa had also pointed out that the Sethusamudram canal cannot handle large cargo shipments. "Also, the Sethusamudram project might only benefit the shipping companies owned by DMK leaders, TR Baalu and Kanimozhi," Annamalai had said in a tweet. (ANI)
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