VELLORE/RANIPET: Launching a spirited attack on TTV Dhinakaran, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday implied that the AMMK leader was colluding with the DMK to defeat the AIADMK. He was addressing a series of rallies in Arakkonam, Sholingur, and Ranipet.
“Dhinakaran was not even a primary party member when Amma was alive. Later he forced himself into the party and took away 18 AIADMK MLAs. Anyone else who joins him will have to face the same fate as that of the 18 MLAs. MGR and Jayalalithaa fought against DMK till their last days.
But some people are colluding with the DMK. We will destroy all their conspiracies,” he said. Later, hitting out at DMK president MK Stalin for his remarks on the State government’s performance, Palaniswami said that the Opposition leader will never be able to open his box of petitions that he is now collecting from public, since he could never become the chief minister.
Stalin should read our advertisments to know our achievements: EPS
“Stalin questions the advertisments released by the State government and says we have not delivered any welfare measures to the people. I think he is unaware of the government’s achievements. We have only advertised what we had done.
It will do Stalin and his cadre some good if they read our advertisments and understand how we took care of the people,” the Chief Minister said. He also renewed his challenge to Stalin for an open debate. “At least if he had the courage to make the allegations on the Assembly floor, I could have given him a befitting reply,” he added. Recalling the attack on former CM J Jayalalithaa in the Assembly during the late eighties, Palaniswami said that DMK had even attacked women inside the Assembly.
Double standards
During the campaign trail, Palaniswami recalled that the DMK government in 2000 had passed a resolution in the Cabinet stating that the death sentence awarded to all Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convicts, except Nalini, could be enforced. “Had this happened, the convicts would have been long dead now. DMK leader Durai Murugan too had signed the resolution. Later, they changed their stand and approached the Governor to issue orders for their release. But it was the AIADMK government that passed a resolution seeking all their release in the Cabinet,” the CM added.
All round development
Attributing the State’s all round development to the AIADMK government’s efforts to attract investments and thereby create job opportunities, Palaniswami said, “Agreements were signed for investments worth Rs 3,00,500 crore during the Global Investors Meet in 2019. As many as 304 deals were inked aimed at creating 10.50 lakh employment opportunities.” Referring to the progress in the education sector, the Chief Minster noted that the enrolment ratio of higher education had risen to 49 per cent when compared to 32 per cent in 2011. “This is because of the government’s various measures, including the setting up of schools and colleges in rural areas,” he further said.
Protection of minorities
Claiming that his government protects the rights of minorities, Palaniswami listed out various measures, including enhancing financial assistance for Hajj pilgrimage and provision of rice for making gruel during the fast period. He also said that his party had sent Mohammed John to Rajya Sabha to ensure that the voice of Muslims was heard in the Upper House. Ministers KC Veeramani and Nilofer Kafeel along with Ranipet AIADMK district secretary S Ravi accompanied the Chief Minister during the meetings. The CM also announced that spiritual guru Kirubananda Variyar’s birth anniversary will be celebrated as a State event on August 25. A devotee of Lord Muruga, Kirubananda Variyar was known for his spiritual discourses on Muruga. He was born in Kangeyanallur in Vellore.