DMK, allies walk out of TN Assembly over Parandur airport project scrapping

Walkout Over Airport Project Scrapping

The Tamil Nadu Assembly witnessed a political showdown on Monday as the DMK and other opposition parties staged a walkout in protest against the ruling TVK government's decision to scrap the proposed Parandur greenfield airport project. The government, led by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, announced the shelving of the project, which had been conceived during the previous DMK regime.

Chief Minister Vijay, in his announcement under Rule 110 of the Assembly, which disallows discussion, said the project had drawn strong opposition from farmers who did not wish to part with their land. He declared that the project would be shelved, a move that immediately drew sharp criticism from the opposition benches.

Stalin's Criticism

Former Chief Minister and DMK president M K Stalin was quick to condemn the decision, stating that Tamil Nadu's interests cannot be "mortgaged for petty political considerations." In a statement, he termed the rejection of the project a "massive disappointment" and an "irreversible setback" for the state's growth.

"The announcement made today by the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu to drop the Parandur International Airport project will set the state's development back by several years," Stalin said. He added that the decision is a "devastating blow" to the employment dreams of Tamil Nadu's youth.

Stalin also criticized the manner of the announcement, saying that "shutting out" the opportunity for debate under Rule 110 is deeply troubling. He argued that the Parandur site was carefully selected after evaluating all available alternatives, and the land acquisition process had been almost completed. "With several stages of preparatory work and approvals already completed, we had drawn up plans to ensure that construction could begin at a rapid pace once we returned to office," he said.

Under the Dravidian model government, Stalin claimed, Tamil Nadu became the first port of call for investors. He warned that the decision threatens to push the state to the bottom of the table and is a "jackpot" for competing states. He also said that achieving economic targets of one trillion or 1.5 trillion dollars is impossible without industrial growth.

Opposition's Protest and Claims

The DMK's protest was not limited to statements. In the Assembly, DMK member EV Velu urged Speaker JCD Prabhakar to allow a discussion on the subject but was denied permission. Former finance minister T Thennarasu told reporters that the DMK had submitted a 'call-attention' motion to discuss the project's necessity and felt the Speaker denied their democratic right to speak by abruptly cutting off discussion.

Thennarasu claimed that nearly 90% of the required land had already been acquired and compensation disbursed. He called the government's decision to abandon the project at this stage "illogical and harmful" to the state's economic roadmap.

Leader of Opposition Udhyanidhi Stalin also slammed the government over the move. He said the project was initiated considering growing air passenger numbers and future needs. He warned that dropping the project for petty political reasons will lead to a big financial loss to the government. The DMK government, he noted, had invested huge sums towards providing three times compensation to landowners and resettlement. The project had been approved by the Airports Authority of India and the Union Civil Aviation Ministry.

Heated Exchange in the Assembly

The political tension escalated on Tuesday when a war of words erupted in the Assembly over the scrapping of the project. Law Minister CTR Nirmal Kumar invoked the phrase "G-Square Maapillai" (son-in-law), which drew an immediate response from former minister and DMK leader Thangam Thennarasu, who hit back with a "lottery son-in-law" jibe.

The exchange took place during a heated debate over the government's decision to abandon the Parandur project and identify an alternative site for Chennai's second airport. The discussion turned personal as the ruling TVK and Opposition DMK traded allegations over land transactions and alleged business interests surrounding the project.

Nirmal Kumar defended the "G-Square son-in-law" remark after Opposition members objected, asking, "What is wrong with saying that?" The Speaker intervened and asked members to sit down and allow the debate to continue.

Thennarasu warned that if the minister wanted to take the debate to that level, the Opposition could respond in kind. "If the Minister wants to take the reply and debate to this level, I can also pay you back in the same currency," he said. He then asked whether the government was bringing a new airport "for a lottery son-in-law".

The "G-Square Maapillai" remark came as PWD and Highways Minister Aadhav Arjuna questioned land transactions around the proposed Parandur site. Arjuna alleged that realtors linked to a particular political party had purchased large parcels of land before the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the airport was announced. He claimed that a particular real-estate company had acquired land around Parandur and was involved in property-related activities in the area. The ruling side used these allegations to question whether certain interests stood to benefit from the project.

Thennarasu's counter was directed at Aadhav Arjuna, who is the son-in-law of businessman Santiago Martin, popularly known as the 'Lottery King'. The dispute has since widened, with both sides trading allegations.

Government's Stated Reasons

The government has cited concerns over agricultural land, environmental issues, and livelihoods in the Parandur region as reasons for scrapping the project. Chief Minister Vijay emphasized the strong opposition from farmers who did not wish to part with their land.

The DMK, which was in power when the project was pursued, has opposed the decision and defended the airport, arguing that it was essential for the state's growth and had already cleared several regulatory hurdles.

Perspectives

DMK's Viewpoint

The DMK, led by M K Stalin, views the scrapping as a politically motivated decision that will set back Tamil Nadu's development by years. They argue that the project was necessary for the state's economic growth, had already received approvals, and that the land acquisition was nearly complete. They accuse the ruling party of acting on "petty political considerations" and of suppressing opposition voices by denying discussion in the Assembly.

Ruling TVK Government's Viewpoint

The ruling TVK government, under Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, maintains that the project faced strong opposition from farmers who did not want to part with their land. The government also cited concerns over agricultural land, environmental issues, and livelihoods in the Parandur region. Additionally, ruling side members, including PWD Minister Aadhav Arjuna, have raised allegations about land transactions around the proposed site, questioning whether certain interests stood to benefit.