How cheap you think we are?: NTK has awful take on DMK's 'free sanitary napkins' poll vow

Ahead of the Tamil Nadu polls, Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) candidate Dileepan Peravurani criticised Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's (DMK's) promise of providing free sanitary napkins in schools and colleges. DMK promised in its manifesto that free-of-cost sanitary napkins will be provided to government school and college students. The 234-seat Tamil Nadu Assembly is set to witness a single-phase election on April 6 and the counting of votes will be done on May 2. 

'This is an insult': Peravurani

"This is such an insult. If Stalin had to provide free sanitary napkins, will he start with providing for his family members? You're seeing their (DMK) Manifesto. Is there anything more shameful than this? They've said every month they'll provide free napkins for Tamil Nadu girls/women in their manifesto. How cheap/shameful is this? How wrong is this? Are we Tamizh people not that capable enough to buy napkins for our girls who are born on this land, our sisters, our siblings, our mothers? So how cheap have you think we are?

Calling it a 'cheap' and 'shameful' act, NTK candidate Peravurani asked DMK Chief Stalin will there be a napkin roll out ceremony to launch the scheme?

"I ask MK Stalin, govt will roll out a scheme after consulting, discussing and then release that scheme. So will there be a napkin roll out ceremony to launch the scheme? Who will he give the napkin (sanitary pads) to? Who will you give it first to?" asked Dileepan Peravurani.

DMK's manifesto

One of the DMK's promises in its manifesto was that automatic vending machines will be installed to provide free-of-cost sanitary napkins for government and government-aided school and college students. DMK supremo MK Stalin revealed that the party had prepared the manifesto, comprising of over 500 promises, after deliberations and discussions.

Tamil Nadu elections

With AIADMK announcing its state alliance with BJP, the EPS-OPS-led party has declared itself as the 'big brother' in the NDA alliance. Former Jayalalithaa aide Sasikala announced her sudden decision to quit politics, thereby ending speculations of her role in the upcoming elections. The AIADMK has also survived a long-running tug-of-war over its leadership with Sasikala announcing her intention to retire from politics, and her nephew TTV Dhinakaran allying his AMMK with the SDPI, Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM and Captain Vijaykanth's DMDK.  

Meanwhile, ex-CM Karunanidhi's successor - DMK chief MK Stalin - eyes his maiden CM term as DMK cannot afford to lose a third straight Assembly election after sweeping the state in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls with 38 seats. 

• Tamil Nadu (Single-phase election)
• 234 seats (44-SC, 2-ST)
• 88,936 polling stations
• Assembly term ending on May 24
• Date of polling- April 6

(Image Credits: @seemanofficial/Twitter/PTI/RepresentativeImage/Pixabay)