Leader of the Opposition in Tamil Nadu Assembly, Udhayanidhi Stalin on Sunday took a jibe at Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and said the people of the state were searching for the governence they once had.
Vijay, in his closing speech in the State Assembly on July 23, had mocked Udhayanidhi, saying he was searching for his 'appa' - DMK president M K Stalin - who could not be found in the House, in a reference to Stalin's defeat in the Assembly elections.
"Tamil Nadu once had governance. Today, the people of the state have begun searching for where it has gone," Udhayanidhi said at a wedding function in Pudukkottai.
He accused the ruling TVK government of repeatedly targeting the DMK with searches while welcoming "corrupt forces", which, he alleged, became "pure forces" after joining its ranks.
Udhayanidhi lashed out at the functioning of the Legislative Assembly under the current regime, likening the House proceedings to a "film shooting spot."
He alleged that the CM was more concerned with checking camera angles and positioning in the Assembly than with governance, accusing him of staging a performance every day.
"It makes us wonder whether this is an Assembly, a cinema theatre, or a shooting spot," he said.
Speaking at another wedding function in the Orathanadu area of Thanjavur district, Udhayanidhi said ordinary citizens were facing hardships under the current regime, with the public left searching for necessities like electricity and water, and questioning the "deterioration of law and order."
He said established welfare programmes like the 'Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai' and the 'Puthumai Penn' schemes remained highly popular, and alleged the current government was struggling because it was unable to halt these initiatives.
Urging party cadres to stand united, Udhayanidhi asked them to shoulder the responsibility of thwarting the government's "anti-people activities."
(With inputs from PTI)