VILLUPURAM: DMK president and Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday said that he is not the one afraid of death and recalled that he was imprisoned for a year under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) during the Emergency when he was 23-years-old.
He was responding to a discourteous remark made by AIADMK general secretary and leader of the opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami in his campaign speech earlier in the day in Chennai.
Stating that AIADMK handled the Covid-19 crisis when it broke out in 2020 in a commendable manner despite lack of revenues to the exchequer, Palaniswami remarked that had the pandemic happened during the DMK rule Stalin might have “gone” due to Covid-19.
Addressing a campaign rally later in the day in Villupuram, Stalin said he was not the one to worry about death. Pointing out that he was arrested under MISA and tortured in prison when Palaniswami had not even entered politics, he said, “My beloved leader and father Kalaignar (late CM M Karunanidhi) said one should face everything in public life”.
“When I did not fear torture in prison, why will I be scared about corona (Covid-19)?” Stalin asked. In a reference to the peak of second wave of the pandemic when DMK had come to power, he recalled that he went to the pandemic ward in hospital, wearing PPE kit, and without informing any officials or ministers in advance. “My wife Durga was so upset that she did not speak to me for a week,” he said.
Criticising the AIADMK leader’s remarks, he said his regret was that he now has to respond to someone like Palaniswami, after having the opportunity to work with tall and dignified leaders like ‘Periyar’ EV Ramasamy, late chief minister’s CN Annadurai, K Kamaraj and MG Ramachandran.
Earlier at a rally in Tiruvannamalai, he blamed Palaniswami for not questioning the actions of the BJP government at the Centre that were not in the interest of Tamil Nadu.
He contrasted this with AIADMK approaching the court against the Ungaludan Stalin grievance redressal scheme, “EPS went to the court and tried to stall the scheme. However, the court imposed a fine of `10 lakh,” Stalin said, adding that the scheme will be implemented if DMK came back to power.
He campaigned for the candidates of the Secular Progressive Alliance in both the districts.
(With inputs from Nimisha S Pradeep @ Vellore)