In Tamil Nadu, A Battle Over Proposed Airport Turns A Clash Of Sons-In-Laws

The Tamil Nadu Assembly debate over the ruling TVK government's decision to scrap the proposed Parandur airport project took an unexpected turn - becoming a political battle over two sons-in-law.
Law Minister Nirmal Kumar, defending the government's decision, alleged that the earlier DMK regime had pushed the project in a way that would benefit those who had invested their "black money" in the vicinity of the proposed airport site.

He used the phrase "G Square Mapillai", a tacit reference to Sabareesan, DMK chief MK Stalin's son-in-law and a key strategist for the DMK.

The remark triggered protests from the DMK benches.

Former Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu hit back, saying that if the government was proposing a new airport site, he too could question whether it was being done for the benefit of the "Lottery Mapillai" - a tacit reference to PWD Minister Aadhaav Arjuna, whose wife Daisy is the daughter of lottery businessman Santiago Martin.

The exchange turned the Parandur debate into an unusual "Mapillai (son in law)" battle, with the political spotlight shifting from the airport project to the family and business associations of political figures.

The controversy spilled outside the assembly.

AIADMK MLA Leema Rose, who is Daisy's mother and Aadhaav Arjuna's mother-in-law, appealed to legislators to spare her husband, who she said was not in politics.

She also claimed that her minister son-in-law Aadhaav Arjuna was no longer involved in the lottery business.

The political sparring came amid a larger debate over the future of the Parandur airport project.

The ruling TVK government has scrapped the project, standing by farmers who had opposed it for years. The proposed airport had faced strong resistance because it would displace a large number of families and affect extensive tracts of fertile agricultural land and water bodies.

For Chief Minister Vijay, the decision also carries political significance.

Parandur was among the first major locations he visited after launching his political party. During that visit, Vijay had assured protesting farmers that he would not permit the airport project if his party came to power.

Now, as Chief Minister, he has fulfilled that promise.

Instead of proceeding with the Parandur project, Vijay's government has said it plans to increase the passenger-handling capacity of Chennai airport by adding a fifth terminal. The government would also identify another site for the airport which would not require large scale displacement or destruction of water bodies, which the opposition says is impossible.

The opposition DMK has criticised the government's decision, arguing that scrapping an already delayed project would hurt Tamil Nadu's development and investment prospects. The party has warned that uncertainty over major infrastructure projects could prompt new investors to look at neighbouring states.

Industries Minister S Keerthana said the land acquired for the project could be put to alternative industrial use without affecting the people. 
"We will use the acquired land for alternate industrial purposes without affecting the people. There will be industrial and economic development besides employment opportunities," she said.

The minister also defended the decision on environmental grounds, pointing to agricultural and water resources in the area.

She said the region has fertile agricultural land where cultivation takes place even without rainfall and has two canals that play a role in releasing and pumping water towards Chembarambakkam Lake and the Adyar river. 

"This is a fertile agricultural land where there is cultivation even if there is no rain. There are also two canals. These water bodies release pressure and pump waters on their own into Chembarambakkam Lake and river Adyar. If we destroy these, there are many possibilities for Chennai city to get flooded", she added. 

The Parandur debate, therefore, is now about much more than where Chennai's next airport should come up.

It has become a clash between the government's development-versus-environment argument and the opposition's concerns over infrastructure and investment - with the "G Square Mapillai" versus "Lottery Mapillai" exchange adding an unusual political subplot to the Assembly battle.