Chennai, Nov 15 (IANS) The AIADMK and BJP on Saturday launched a fierce attack on the DMK government after South Korean footwear manufacturer Wasoong International decided to relocate its proposed Rs 1,720-crore project from Tamil Nadu to Andhra Pradesh — a move that opposition leaders say has cost the state nearly 20,000 direct jobs.

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) was the first to lash out, questioning what Tamil Nadu had gained from Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s repeated foreign tours and investment summits. “The Korean company that once announced it would set up operations in Tamil Nadu has now shifted its project to Andhra Pradesh. After four years of these colourful shows and investor conferences, what benefit has Tamil Nadu received?” he asked.

EPS said companies that had earlier promised investments were now withdrawing, pointing to deeper issues in governance. He accused the government of allowing law and order to deteriorate, failing to ensure women’s safety, and being mired in corruption allegations — all of which, he said, have shaken industrial confidence.

“How can industries come to a state run by rulers who prioritise publicity over performance? The youth who believed new industries would bring jobs have been badly let down by this incompetent DMK government,” Palaniswami charged.

He added that industries that have exited the state would return once an AIADMK government is formed in 2026.

Following EPS’s criticism, former Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai also blamed the DMK government for allowing a major investment opportunity to slip away. Recalling that the Industries Minister had proudly announced Wasoong’s decision to set up a large-scale footwear manufacturing facility generating 20,000 jobs, Annamalai said the project’s relocation within just three months reflected poorly on the state administration.

He accused the Chief Minister and the Industries Minister of being “in deep slumber” while neighbouring states aggressively attracted global manufacturing. “Other states are moving swiftly, but Tamil Nadu is losing its position due to negligence and misgovernance. International companies are leaving because they don’t have confidence in this government,” he said.

Annamalai alleged that Tamil Nadu, once seen as a land of opportunities, was now becoming a land of “missed opportunities” under the DMK rule, adding that foreign investors were opting for other states due to the absence of a positive outlook towards the current administration.

–IANS

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