Anbumani accepts Minister's poll promise debate call

CHENNAI: PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss on Tuesday said he accepted the invitation of Prohibition and Excise Minister S Muthusamy to engage with him in a debate on the DMK government’s fulfilment of its 2021 election promises, saying that he was ready for the challenge.

Reacting to the minister’s claim that 85 per cent of the manifesto assurances had been implemented, Anbumani said he appreciated Muthusamy’s courage in making such an audacious statement and inviting him for a discussion. “I am prepared to meet him for a public debate at a place and time of his choosing,” he said in a statement.

However, Anbumani disputed the government’s claims, saying that Chief Minister MK Stalin and other ministers had made inconsistent and exaggerated statements. “The Chief Minister first said 90 per cent of the promises were fulfilled. Later, he made it 95, 98 and even 99 per cent. I released a document titled ‘Vidiyal Enge?’ (‘Where is the Dawn?’). Evidence exposed how only 66 promises — about 13 per cent — had been fully implemented,” he said.

He recalled that ministers TM Anbarasan, Sivashankar and KR Periyakaruppan had told reporters in September that orders had been issued to implement 364 of 505 promises, which comes around 72 per cent. “If that was the case, then how can it suddenly become 85 per cent now?” he asked.