Siddu investor meet ’drama’ to retain post, says Tamil Nadu Minister

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Chennai, Feb 1, 2014: Hitting out at Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramiah who had held a business conclave in Coimbatore in the state recently, the Tamil Nadu government today said it was a ’drama’ enacted by him to retain his post ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

"That meeting was a drama by that Chief Minister to retain his post ahead of elections," Industries Minister P Thangamani said today.

Intervening after Puthiya Tamizhagam member S Krishnasamy raised the issue in the Assembly during a debate on the motion to thank the Governor for his address to the House on January 30, he also said that contrary to Karnataka’s claims, Tamil Nadu businessmen were not interested in setting up units there.

During the ’Coimbatore Road Show-2014-Chamarajangar Investors’ Meet 2014,’ on January 21, Siddaramiah promised of a good law and order situation there, in the backdrop of the vexed Cauvery issue between the two states, especially after the issue of anti-Tamil violence which broke out after the interim verdict in the 1991 was pointed out.

Thangamani claimed there was not enough space in Chamarajnagar even as he hailed the industrial environment of his state.

He recalled that the state had entered into business agreements worth around Rs 21,000 crore under the Jayalalithaa government after it came to power in 2011 and claimed the state had better business indicators like industrial peace.

Earlier, Krishnasamy had raised concerns of Tamil Nadu businessmen moving away to Chamarajnagar in Karnataka following the business meet even as CPI legislator M Arumugham expressed similar concerns.

Later, while intervening CPI-M member A Sounderarajan on the Nokia plant issue, Thangamani alleged that the Centre gave "tacit support" in efforts to move the mobile phone manufacturer out of Tamil Nadu because the handset major’s business was set up near Chennai following efforts by Jayalalithaa.

The Centre’s action against Nokia on alleged tax evasion was part of that, he claime but did not elaborate.