File picture of PMK President Anbumani Ramadoss
| Photo Credit: E. Lakshmi Narayanan

Wishing good luck to the anti-liquor conference to be organised by the Viduthalai Chiruthai Katchi (VCK) leader Thol. Thirumavalavan, the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) leader Anbumani Ramadoss suggested to invite DMK MP Kanimozhi to Madurai.

Speaking to media persons at Madurai airport, Mr Anbumani said that the DMK MP should inform her brother (Chief Minister) that the highest number of young widows were in Tamil Nadu as the lives were claimed due to consumption of liquor.

Responding to the remarks by TN Minister Muthusamy that it would be practically difficult to close down TASMAC outlets, though the CM M K Stalin wished it happened, he said that it was a shame and curse on the people of Tamil Nadu. The Dravidian rule for the last 57 years in the State had not only ruined the families in the past by making them addict to the drinking habit, but also thrust the younger generation too into alcoholics, he charged.

The PMK, since its inception, had been waging a war to close down the liquor shops and appealed for prohibition. Over the last several years of fights through demonstrations and agitations, 3,321 TASMAC outlets were closed. In fact, the PMK was responsible for reducing the timing of TASMAC outlets, he recalled and added that over 15000 women cadres in the PMK had gone to prisons after attacking the liquor shops in the past.

The PMK leader said that in the Kallakurichi liquor tragedy, which claimed 67 lives, nearly 62 among them were from the Scheduled Castes. In the past too, only those from the Vanniyars and SCs had died due to liquor consumption.

He said that above ideological differences, the VCK leader should have invited the PMK to be a part of the conference. He also urged Mr Thirumavalavan to stop describing the PMK as a caste outfit.

The VCK leader should explain the reasons for campaigning for DMK candidates T R Baalu and Jagatrakshagan as they supplied nearly 20 % of their liquor from their breweries to the TASMAC outlets. “If Mr Thirumavalavan was serious about his claims on prohibition, he should answer my question,” Dr Anbumani said.

He said that there was nothing to glorify about the US visit of Mr Stalin as many other State CMs had attracted Rs 20000 and Rs 30000 crores of investment, while the TN CM had managed to bring in about Rs 7500 crore.

On the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s visit to Coimbatore, where a video clip of a hotelier went viral, the PMK leader said that the important points from the meeting had not been highlighted, while what was not relevant had got more space in the media