National

โ€œWhenever Karunanidhi Put His Pen Down, Tamil Naduโ€ฆโ€: Stalin Defends Key Statue Project

MK Stalin

Chief Minister MK Stalin named a few important projects and schemes, which Karunanidhi signed off on with his pen

Chennai: Environmental activists and the opposition is massively criticizing the proposal of the DMK government to erect a โ€˜pen monumentโ€™ in the sea of Marina beach. The monument will be a tribute to the late CM Karunanidhi. Amid this, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin indirectly defended the project.

MK Stalin spoke about the importance of Karunanidhiโ€™s pen. He said, โ€œWhenever Karunanidhi put his pen down, Tamil Nadu rose and stood tall.โ€

He added, โ€œThe same pen of Karunanidhi changed the destiny of the Tamil community.โ€

Further, he named a few important projects and schemes, which Karunanidhi signed off on with his pen.

Also Read: MK Stalin Requests PM To Grant Extra Attempt To Civil Service Aspirants

The petitions submitted by certain state residents of the state urged the Tamil Nadu government and the Ministry of Environment to reverse their plan to build a โ€œPenโ€ statue inside Marina beach and to avoid endangering the environment and marine life there.

The plea stated, โ€œThe proposed monument would be located around 360 meters into the Bay of Bengal from the Marina beach coast, the State sought permission under Section 4 (ii)(j) of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification amended on March 22, 2016. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had asked the State to submit the final Environment Impact EIA/EMA report within four years on the DMK governmentโ€™s plan to construct the Kalaignar Pen Monument in the Bay of Bengal.โ€

The city has an ample amount of land on which the memorial can be built, but, building a monument inside the sea will impact the marina ecosystem and marine life, it said.

PIL claims, โ€œThe project would affect the livelihood of fisherfolk and take a toll on the environment, and about 32 villages of fishermen will be impacted when it is constructed.โ€

Dear Readers,
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.
Some error occurred

Related posts

International

Suspended security assistance as Pakistan failed to act on militant safe havens: White House

TestHostEntry

Washington | The US has made it clear to Pakistani leaders that it expects them to constructively address the problem of militant safe havens in the country, the White House said after President Donald Trump and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan faced off over the issue that has impacted bilateral ties.

Trump on Sunday accused Pakistan of not doing โ€œa damn thingโ€ for the US. He cited Osama bin Laden and the Taliban resurgence in neighbouring Afghanistan as examples of how Pakistan would โ€œtake our money and do nothing for usโ€. Khan reacted angrily by saying that his country had suffered enough by fighting terrorism on behalf of the United States. โ€œNow we will do what is best for our people and our interests,โ€ the cricketer-turned politician said on Twitter.

The White House defended Trumpโ€™s decision to suspend security assistance to Pakistan. โ€œThe (Trump) Administration has been clear to Pakistani leaders that it expects them to constructively address the problem of militant safe havens in Pakistan,โ€ an official from the National Security Council, the White House, told PTI.

โ€œBecause Pakistan failed to address the problem, the Administration suspended security assistance,โ€ the official said, requesting anonymity. โ€œWe remain hopeful that Pakistan will realise it is in its own interest to cooperate with the US strategy in Afghanistan,โ€ said the official responding Khan accusing President Trump of false assertion in his countryโ€™s fight against terror.

The US and others have long complained that Pakistan provides a safe haven to militant networks, allowing them to carry out cross-border attacks in Afghanistan, a charge that Islamabad denies. Trump while announcing his new South Asia policy in August last year accused Pakistan of failing to do enough against terrorist groups inside the country.

The relationship between the US and Pakistan has always been tenuous, but tensions have increased since Trumpโ€™s election. In January this year, the US government announced it was cutting almost all security aid to the country.

In September, the Trump administration cancelled USD 300 million in military aid to Islamabad for its failure to act against terror groups like the Haqqani Network and Taliban active on its soil Trump in his latest tirade against Islamabad alleged that Pakistan knew that bin Laden, the Al Qaeda leader, was living in a mansion on the outskirts of its garrison city of Abbottabad and all the aid being given to Pakistan, which is USD 1.3 billion per annum, was a waste.

Trumpโ€™s latest criticism has further deteriorated the US-Pak relationship. Senator Rand Paul, who has for the last several years sought to cut all assistance to Pakistan, supported Trumpโ€™s decision.

โ€œI agree completely. Thatโ€™s why we should push hard on Pakistan to let persecuted Christian Asia Bibi find asylum in America,โ€ he said retweeting Trumpโ€™s posts.

Bibi was recently released from a Pakistani jail after her blasphemy conviction was overturned. โ€œDuring my time in Congress, I have introduced legislation to directly go after Pakistanโ€™s foreign aid and turn up the pressure on them to release Asia Bibi and stop persecuting religious minorities,โ€ he said.

Related posts

News Hub