Piyush Goyal to Visit Chennai Ahead of Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections
Upcoming Visit by Central Minister Piyush Goyal
Central Minister and Tamil Nadu's election in-charge, Piyush Goyal, is scheduled to visit Chennai on December 23, ahead of the upcoming assembly elections next year. This announcement was made by BJP leader R.N. Jayaprakash during a press conference.
Jayaprakash, who serves as the vice president of the Tamil Nadu BJP, also mentioned that the newly elected national executive president of the BJP will arrive in Chennai on December 20. He stated, "Our new national executive president, Nitin Nabeen, will be welcomed grandly at Chennai Airport before heading to Puducherry."
Criticism of Chief Minister MK Stalin
In his remarks, the BJP leader criticized Chief Minister MK Stalin, claiming that the DMK government has yet to fulfill the promises made during the 2021 elections. He pointed out that while the Chief Minister had initiated several schemes for women, many electoral commitments, such as the Swarna Mangalsutra scheme and LPG subsidy, remain unaddressed.
Amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the Karthikai Deepam festival in Madurai, top BJP leaders, including Piyush Goyal and Nitin Nabeen, are set to tour the state. The BJP has supported a court directive allowing the lighting of lamps on the stone pillar at the Thirupparankundram hill, which the DMK government opposes.
Calls for Dissolution of HR & CE Department
Earlier on Tuesday, BJP leader K. Annamalai demanded the dissolution of Tamil Nadu's Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) department, which has opposed the court's directive regarding the lighting of lamps. Speaking at a public meeting in Puducherry, Annamalai noted that while the HR & CE department contested the ruling, the Muslim community did not raise any objections to the Madras High Court's decision.
He emphasized that it is time to abolish the HR & CE department, expressing surprise that no Muslim or local individual questioned the decision made on December 1, while the temple secretary did appeal against it. This raises the question of the necessity of the HR & CE department in Tamil Nadu.