What does DMK President Stalin know about farmers, he is surviving without an occupation: TN CM K Palaniswami

In a scathing attack on DMK President M K Stalin, Tamil Nadu chief minister K Palaniswami on Wednesday questioned his knowledge in agriculture and accused him of surviving without being in any occupation.

His roots in agriculture was instrumental in aiding him to launch the 'Kudimaramathu' scheme and also ensure that the state bagged the national award in water management, Palaniswami said.

Hitting back at the DMK Chief over his 'fake' farmer barb targetting him, the CM said agriculture was his primary occupation and he was a farmer since childhood.

What does he know about farmers? How do you differentiate a fake from a genuine farmer?,he asked when a reporter sought his reaction to Stalin's remark that the chief minister was a "fake" farmer.

"I construe that he is insulting farmers by making such unwarranted remark. If you ask me, I can talk about agriculture.But what does he know he doesn't know what profession he is in. Stalin is perhaps the only person who is surviving without being in any profession," Palaniswami alleged, hitting out at the DMK president.

The CM who was in this southern coastal district to review the measures being taken by the administration to prevent the spread of COVID-19 besides launch numerous projects, said, "agriculture is my primary occupation. I have been a farmer since my childhood and people of my locality know it. They know I worked hard." "I don't need Stalin's certificate to prove to be a farmer," he said.

Palaniswami, who had earlier taunted the DMK chief for speaking about the Centre's reforms in agriculture sector, saying he lacked knowledge on the subject, questioned Stalin's knowledge on farming, again, and wondered how he could differentiate a fake farmer from a genuine without knowing the subject.

In fact, his background as a farmer had helped him come out with several schemes including the 'Kudimaramathu' programme for the benefit of farmers and also steer the state to bag the national award in water management.

He also recalled his efforts on getting 10 TMC water for parched Chennai from the Krishna river in Andhra Pradesh.

Further, he had initiated talks with his Kerala counterpart aiming to resolve the long pending water issues between the two states.

But what has Stalin done for water management in the state when DMK was in power. He is responsible for the Tuticorin incident (police firing on protesters during the anti-Sterlite stir on May 22, 2018, which claimed 13 lives),the CM said.

He accused the DMK president of being a "liar" for blaming the AIADMK government for the Sterlite police firing incident.

"During the DMK rule, as a minister Stalin had informed the assembly that land was being allotted for Sterlites expansion programme and that the company was investing Rs 1,500 crore for the same," Palaniswami said.

Though Stalin had done everything, he blamed the state government, the chief minister said and claimed that the police firing would not have happened had the expansion not been permitted. 

(IMAGE CREDITS:PTI)