Speaking at the campaign for the Madurantakam constituency by-election, Minister Aadhav Arjuna said, ``They are talking about the new Secretariat. If it is a project, first a DPR – Detailed Project Report – will be prepared. Only after that will the Chief Minister decide whether it should be done or not. Fishermen brothers have held protests. Their views must also be heard. Our position is that nothing should be done in a way that affects the people,” he had said.
In this situation, today in Chennai, CPM party State Secretary Shanmugam met the press and spoke. At that time, he was asked about Minister Aadhav Arjuna’s remarks.

Responding to that, he said, “It is not appropriate for TVK government minister Aadhav Arjuna to say that the Chief Minister has not yet taken a final decision regarding the construction of a new Secretariat. How could Government Order No. 564, issued by the government regarding the construction of a new Secretariat, have been released without the knowledge of either the Chief Minister or the concerned department minister? If the government order was issued without the Chief Minister’s approval, action should be taken against the officials responsible for it. Otherwise, it should also be clarified whether this wrong decision was taken only with the Chief Minister’s approval.”
When there are many opportunities within Chennai itself to set up permanent structures such as the Secretariat, the Legislative Assembly, and the legislators’ hostel in suitable alternative locations that do not inconvenience the public, it is not democratic to stubbornly evict the fishermen’s settlements and build them there.
In this matter, the CPM is putting forward demands based on the welfare of the people. Not only under the TVK government, but even if any other party were in power, we would have raised the same fair demand. During the previous DMK regime, the CPM took the lead in various people’s struggles, from the demolition of houses in Pallavaram and Anakaputhur, the issues faced by the people of Srinivasanpuram and K.P. Park, the Samsung workers’ protest, and the protest against the 12-hour workday bill.

However, asking, “Why didn’t you fight then, why are you fighting now?” without discussing the legitimacy of the demand is a tactic to divert the issue. The current TVK government’s approach is not democratic. Rather than announcing many important decisions unilaterally, consulting with allies and opposition parties and building consensus is what makes a good government. While the support being extended to the TVK government will continue, the CPM will also continue to fulfill its duty of criticizing and pointing out the government’s wrong policies,” he said.
