DMK's Nehru-Ambedkar omission charge draws counterattack from TN Congress
The Tamil Nadu Congress on Sunday, August 30, hit back at former ally DMK over its criticism of the omission of prominent leaders, including Jawaharlal Nehru, from a state government policy note, accusing the Dravidian party of political double standards.
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee Treasurer Ruby R Manoharan claimed that the names of Nehru and B R Ambedkar were also omitted from official policy notes tabled during previous DMK governments.
Former DMK MLA and party legal wing joint secretary E Paranthaman had on Saturday criticised the Tamil Nadu government for leaving out ideological leaders such as EV Periyar, Ambedkar and Nehru from the official policy note of the Backward Classes and Most Backward Classes Welfare Department.
Paranthaman had also questioned the Congress' silence, pointing out that Nehru's name was omitted despite his role in the passage of the First Constitutional Amendment.
Responding to the criticism, Manoharan alleged that the DMK had itself failed to mention Nehru and Ambedkar in policy documents during its previous tenure.
"Unable to digest the public verdict and standing at the peak of frustration, the DMK and its spokespersons are talking incoherently. They must first open and review their own past policy explanatory notes," Manoharan said in a statement.
He claimed that official policy notes tabled during 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25, when S Rajakannappan was the minister, did not mention the names of Nehru or Ambedkar.
Manoharan also questioned Paranthaman, who was a member of the previous Assembly, over the alleged omissions.
"Were you sleeping in the House while your minister read out the policy note. Or did you deliberately ignore and exclude the names of Ambedkar and Nehru from the policy documents for years while in power. Where was your commitment to social justice then," the Congress leader asked.
The Congress is part of the TVK-led government in Tamil Nadu.
