AIADMK misusing SHGs for poll gains: Karunanidhi

Chennai, Apr 27 (UNI) Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) President M Karunanidhi has charged the ruling AIADMK with violating the model code of conduct by involving Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) for achieving gains in the May eight Assembly elections.

Addressing a campaign meeting at his home constituency Chepauk here last night, he said he was openly levelling the charge in the hope that the the message would reach the Election Commission (EC) through it would initiate action.

Alleging that the AIADMK had launched a disinformation campaign that the DMK, if it came to power, would disband the SHGs, he said the SHG was the brainchild of the previous DMK government and there was no question of disbanding them.

SHGs came into being for the first time in Dharmapuri district when the DMK came to power in 1989. They gained strength when the DMK again came to power in 1996 and membership grew to over eight lakh.

Though SHGs were nurtured during the previous DMK regime, neither the DMK nor the DMK government had misused these groups for political or electoral gain. They were encouraged only to start self-employment and made to stand on their own feet, Mr Karunanidhi said.

SHGs could not be disbanded as they were not under the control of the state government. The Centre too had a hold. While the former provided 25 per cent assistance, the remaining came from the Centre.

However, giving an impression that SHGs were under the control of the state government, the AIADMK had misused them in the by-elections to Kancheepuram and Gummidipoondi, he alleged, adding that they were even forced to register themselves as fake voters.

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