Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) spokesperson T.K.S. Elangovan on Tuesday accused Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay of attempting to cheat farmers by seeking to withdraw the proposed Parandur airport project and explore alternative sites. Elangovan argued that scrapping the project would deprive the region of significant economic and employment benefits at a time when it is witnessing rapid industrial expansion.

DMK's Case for Parandur Airport

'The area where the Parandur airport is proposed is an industrially growing region. Many industries are coming up in that area. The airport will definitely support the state's economy and provide employment opportunities for young people,' Elangovan said. He alleged that the Chief Minister's reversal had only one explanation: 'he wants to cheat the farmers,' pointing out that promises made to farming communities across several areas had already gone unfulfilled.

Attack on BJP Over Delhi March

Elangovan also trained his guns on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), reacting sharply to the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) announcement of a peaceful march in Delhi on 5 September over what it described as the Centre's unfulfilled promises. 'The BJP is anti-democratic. They do not follow the Constitution. The Constitution gives citizens the right to agitate for a legitimate cause. But the BJP will not allow it. They do not care about the law or the Constitution,' he alleged. He added that citizens who elect a government retain the constitutional right to protest its wrongdoings.

Navdeep Suri Voter Notice Row

On reports of a notice issued to former diplomat Navdeep Suri regarding his voter details during the Punjab Special Intensive Revision (SIR), Elangovan questioned the rationale behind asking a retired Indian Foreign Service officer to establish his citizenship. 'When he has worked for the Indian government and represented India in foreign affairs, what more does he have to prove? What evidence does he have to provide to establish that he is an Indian?' he asked. The notice has drawn criticism from several quarters as an overreach in the voter roll revision exercise.

Cauvery Water Release Directive

Commenting on the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee's (CWRC) reported direction to Karnataka to release 9,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for the next 15 days, Elangovan said Karnataka was legally bound to comply. 'The Supreme Court has ordered Karnataka to abide by the tribunal's directions. That will have to happen; otherwise, the Supreme Court will view the matter seriously,' he said. The Cauvery water dispute remains a perennial flashpoint between the two southern states, with Tamil Nadu farmers regularly pressing for timely releases during the kuruvai and samba cropping seasons.

On the BJP contesting the upcoming Punjab elections independently, Elangovan offered a measured response: 'Let us wait and see. The BJP can plan anything.' The DMK's broadside on multiple fronts signals the party's intent to stay on the offensive ahead of a politically busy season in both Tamil Nadu and national politics.