VELLORE: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami triggered a controversy on Monday night after he shouted at an ambulance driver who attempted to pass through his campaign gathering in Anaicut, Vellore district.
According to sources, Palaniswami was addressing the public when a 108 ambulance tried to make its way through the crowd. Angered, he shouted, “Stop the vehicle. Is there any patient inside? They (DMK) are trying to ruin the gathering. Isn’t the government ashamed of doing such things?” He further instructed party workers to note the ambulance number and driver’s details and file a police complaint.
Claiming that ambulances had disrupted his campaigns earlier as well, Palaniswami added, “At around 30 places of my campaign so far, I have seen ambulances crossing similarly.” He went on to warn that if an empty ambulance crossed his meeting again, “the driver will be sent back as a patient.”
The driver, Surendar, employed with GVK EMRI, later said he had been travelling from Pallikonda to Anaicut GH to pick up a patient and shift her to Vellore GH in Adukkamparai. “The public started thumping on the ambulance. They held me by my collar and took my ID card away. They opened the back door and asked why I was coming here without any patient. We work to save lives 24/7. Nobody cares for our lives,” he said.
Health Minister Ma Subramanian strongly condemned EPS’ remarks. Speaking at an Ungaludan Stalin campaign in Saidapet, he said, “There are 1,330 ambulances in Tamil Nadu and they are saving lives every minute. EPS is holding meetings on main roads and then complaining. It is completely disrespectful for him to threaten the driver.”
The DMK’s IT wing also criticised EPS, calling the act “deplorable” and warning that violence could have erupted if party workers had reacted to his speech. Officials confirmed the ambulance was en route to pick up a 60-year-old woman with diarrhoea and vomiting.
Meanwhile, during his “Makkalai Kaapom, Tamilagaithai Meetpom” campaign on Tuesday, EPS took a swipe at the DMK government, questioned the locked rooms during ED raids—indirectly referring to the raid at Minister I Periyasamy’s residence—accused Chief Minister M K Stalin of staging a “drama” from hospital, promised civic improvements, and hit back at CPI leader R Mutharasan, declaring, “Even if your father comes, he can’t defeat me.”