Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa kicked off the party’s election campaign at Island Grounds in Chennai on Saturday. Speaking to a massive turnout, the Chief Minister said that it was her goal to introduce prohibition in the state, but it could only be done in a phased manner.
“Now it would not be possible to completely ban alcohol production and sale in the state at one go. It has to be done step by step. First we will limit the timings of shops. Then we will close down shops. Then we will shut down bars. And establish rehabilitation centres for people addicted to alcohol,” she said.
Taking pot shots at Karunanidhi and the DMK, she said that he had no right to speak about the prohibition of alcohol since it was his government that removed prohibition in the state in 1971 and introduced a whole generation of Tamilians to alcohol.
The Chief Minister said that her entire life has been dedicated to the betterment of the people. “I am because of you. And I am for you,” she said.
Laying particular emphasis on the various schemes of the AIADMK government for pregnant women, abandoned women, widowed women and so on, she said that it was her aim “to fulfill the needs of every woman in my state. And our party has always come to the aid of women.
She also added that among all the cities in India, Chennai was regarded as the safest, particularly for women in the city. “This is not something that I am saying. This is the result of a central government survey,” she said.
Dismissing the claims of people that the AIADMK government did nothing for the flood victims of Chennai, she said that the government had spent crores of rupees on various relief measures. “We successfully prevented any communicable diseases from spreading after the floods. That itself was a major victory for us.”
Jayalalithaa also listed out a host of other measures carried out in the various constituencies of Chennai, including the successful completion of the first stage of the Chennai metro and works on various water bodies in Chennai.
Claiming that if she had to list out all the achievements of the AIADMK government, it would require a full week, she said that the government had gone beyond fulfilling election promises to deliver many more schemes that people had not even imagined.