ERODE: AIADMK is not a slave to anyone, asserted Leader of the Opposition and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami in Bhavanisagar in Erode district on Sunday. He trained his guns on Chief Minister MK Stalin, claiming the DMK-led alliance is in a mess.
While addressing a public meeting, Palaniswami said, "Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has been terming the AIADMK as a slave of the BJP and acting as its affiliate. This is completely a slanderous campaign as the AIADMK stands on its own feet. The AIADMK is not a slave to anyone and acts independently.
He further claimed: "The DMK is the slave of the Congress party. No one has forgotten the raid on Arivalayam when alliance talks were underway between the Congress and the DMK. This is proof of DMK's slavery. But AIADMK is a party with dignity. Therefore, DMK's campaigns on this will not work."
"The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister could not find any fault with our AIADMK regime. This is why the Chief Minister is making cheap criticisms against me and the AIADMK," Palaniswami added.
"Chief Minister MK Stalin is administratively incompetent. He just does photo-shoots every day. This does not benefit the people in any way. People were well under the AIADMK rule. But, people in Tamil Nadu are facing various difficulties under the DMK rule. So the people must decide whether they need this government or not," he added.
Palaniswami then recalled the incidents that occurred while he had to prove majority in the Assembly after former chief minister J Jayalalithaa's demise. "DMK MLAs created chaos inside the Assembly by not respecting the law while we were proving a majority. They also insulted the Speaker, who was from Scheduled Caste, at that time," the AIADMK chief recalled.
Palaniswami also stated that Chief Minister MK Stalin gained recognition in politics due to his father but he had advanced in politics through hard work.
Further, he said, "The AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance is strong in Tamil Nadu. But the DMK-led alliance is in disarray. The war of words between the Congress and the DMK is going on daily. It is doubtful whether their alliance will last until the election. The Congress and the VCK are demanding a share in power. Their alliance is in a state of confusion."
He also noted that the AIADMK alliance is at the forefront in all matters, including campaigning.