CHENNAI: Taking a dig at former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, transport and electricity minister SS Sivasankar said it was during the previous AIADMK regime that guns were sold cheaply in the state. He was responding to Palaniswami’s criticism that a “gun culture” was prevailing in Tamil Nadu, referring to the murder of a PMK youth wing functionary in Ranipet.
Recalling that the Madras High Court had expressed concerns in August 2020 over guns being supplied to the state from other states, the minister asked, “Is this the peace, prosperity, and development that prevailed during his regime?”
On the murder of PMK functionary S Chakravarthi, Sivasankar said, “Two people were arrested within three days. Though the case was initially registered as a suspicious death, it was altered to murder after the autopsy report confirmed he was shot with a country-made gun.”
He questioned how Palaniswami, who oversaw the police department for four years, could lack basic understanding of the investigation procedures.
Reacting to Palaniswami’s statement, Minister for Municipal Administration KN Nehru said EPS might lose his position as Leader of Opposition and the AIADMK general secretary by May next year, if confusion over coalition persists within his party ahead of the 2026 Assembly election.
Taking a dig at the BJP’s influence over the AIADMK, Nehru, in a post on X, said, “Kamalalayam (TN BJP headquarters) keeps Palaniswami on edge daily, talking about forming a coalition, a BJP-led government, or an NDA government.
Meanwhile, Palaniswami’s slaves are hailing him as the next CM. There is no way to rescue him from the illusionary world he is living in.”