CHENNAI: By supporting the contentious three farm laws, AIADMK top leader K Palaniswami 'betrayed' the farmers of the entire country and he should apologise to them for the 'betrayal', DMK President and Chief Minister M K Stalin said on Tuesday.
Referring to the Cauvery and Mekedatu issues, Stalin alleged that while in power Palaniswami betrayed farmers of Cauvery delta districts and by supporting the three farms (now repealed) he betrayed the ryots of the entire country.
In a virtual address for the February 19 urban civic polls, Stalin mocked at Palaniswami and said the AIADMK leader may be addressed as 'BJP' Palaniswami as he resonated the voice of the Saffron party.
The DMK chief's address was telecast live in a string of locations across Thanjavur district on Tuesday evening. "You should defeat such a Palaniswami in the civic polls. You already defeated him." Stalin alleged that the AIADMK leader failed to get Cauvery water, supported a law that favoured 'hoarding' (hinting at the Essential Commodities Amendment Act, now repealed) paddy and rice and ordered baton charge on farmers who opposed the eight lane expressway project.
Listing other allegations as well, the CM said Palaniswami betrayed farmers. Thanjavur district is the hub of Tamil Nadu's Cauvery delta region. Stalin said his party staunchly opposed the three farm laws but Palaniswami claimed that it was in favour of farmers.
"What happened? The BJP government at the Centre bowed down and repealed all the three farm laws." When Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself had backtracked, he asked whether Palaniswami would now apologise to farmers.
"By bowing before the farmers, apologise to them. Our farmers are large-hearted they would forgive you for sure," Stalin said targeting former Chief Minister Palaniswami.
The DMK chief also listed corruption allegations against Ministers in the previous AIADMK regime (2016-21).
He alleged that Palaniswami indulged in corruption through his relatives and there are complaints against Panneerselvam for amassing wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income.
Stalin also dismissed the AIADMK, the main opposition party as 'Palaniswami-Panneerselvam comedy drama company'.
Pointing to DMK's win in the Assembly elections last year, the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, rural civic polls held in December 2019 and in 9 reconstituted districts (October 2021), he appealed to the people to give similar, huge victories to his party and allies in the urban civic polls also.