THOOTHUKUDI: Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday accused DMK president M K Stalin of doing “politics” by levelling allegations against AIADMK and him, instead of talking about the “achievements” of DMK. “They (DMK) have done nothing for the people when they were in power. They talk about public issues, but none of the 88 MLAs of DMK had submitted any petitions to me seeking to fulfil their demands,” he said while campaigning for AIADMK Ottapidaram (reserved) segment candidate P Mohan here on Tuesday.
On the Perambalur sex abuse case alleged by M K Stalin, Palaniswami said that the purported evidence given by the lawyer Arul had been found baseless during the investigation. “The complaint is a rumour in nature and is being spread to malign the image of the AIADMK MLA of Perambalur segment. The lawyer who is behind the rumours is facing nine cases and has been imprisoned,” Palaniswami said. He charged that a former Perambalur DMK MLA was accused of raping and murdering a minor girl who worked as a maid at his home and has been serving 10 years imprisonment.
Replying to DMK president Stalin who had said during his election campaigns that cable television tariffs were higher (in the State), the chief minister said: “At least 40 channels are being run by the family members of Stalin and his relative Dayanidhi Maran. Let’s see whether they will reduce the tariff,” Palaniswami said.
At Puthiyamputhur, Palaniswami urged the public to vote for AIADMK candidate to “teach a lesson” to the disqualified MLA Sundar Raj, an independent candidate (AMMK), for “conspiring to topple the government”. He also assured to upgrade Puthiyamputhur panchayat to a town panchayat after the elections. Saying that the students opting for higher education had increased to 48 per cent in Tamil Nadu, he said that there has been a revolution in education in Tamil Nadu. “Where there is education, there will be peace,” he noted. The chief minister campaigned for the AIADMK candidate at Tharuvaikulam, Muthammal Colony, Muthaiapuram and Pudhukottai.
The chief minister also assured that construction of a bus depot in Ottapidaram would be considered and said that Ottapidaram would get a new bus stand. Saying that the drinking water crisis would be addressed soon, Palaniswami said that the `Rs106 crore worth Thamirabarani combined drinking water scheme for 248 villages would be inaugurated after the elections.