Opposition DMK in Tamil Nadu today claimed the Governor's address to the state Assembly lacks any "new policy announcement" and dubbed it as a "mere formality".
"The address is a mere formality and reminds of the demands presented to the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa earlier," party President M Karunanidhi said in a statement.
He said that lack of announcement on ways and means to implement the various assurances made in the AIADMK's May 16 poll manifesto had come as a 'disappointment.'
Issues like inter-state water disputes, Sri Lankan Tamils problem and retrieval of katchatheevu had already found mention in the Governor's address in January this year, Karunanidhi said and questioned the state's contention that Tamil Nadu was 'power-surplus.'
Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly M K Stalin criticised the address, saying it was like a "big list of Amma (Jayalalithaa) schemes."
Responding to the government's assurance that efforts were on to revive operations at Finnish handset maker Nokia's plant near here, Stalin, DMK Treasurer and son of Karunanidhi, said the very problem (closure) had cropped up during the AIADMK regime.
Founders of PMK and MDMK, S Ramadoss and Vaiko, respectively, also said the Governor's address lacked any new policy announcements.
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Puthiya Tamizhagam President K Krishnasamy termed the address as a "mere ritual, without any concrete stuff".
"The address is just his master's voice singing the tune of ruling party," he told reporters in Coimbatore.
