CHENNAI: Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu on Wednesday said the allegations levelled by Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami after the latter’s meeting with Governor RN Ravi are totally baseless and Palaniswami didn’t adduce any evidence to prove his charges.
“If he has evidence, he should have moved the court instead of hiding behind such a bundle of falsehood,” the minister told reporters at the DMK headquarters here. Thennarsu said Palaniswami made allegations against the government since he was unable to digest the goodwill it has earned from the public.
Regarding Palaniswami’s charge on the Coimbatore gas cylinder blast, the minister said the police identified the suspects within 12 hours and arrested them under the UAPA Act. Later, the case was transferred to the NIA since international links might be involved. CM MK Stalin took immediate action, he added.
Thennarasu also charged that Palaniswami attempted to create an illusion, by citing a few stray incidents, that the law and order situation has deteriorated. He said Palaniswami has no locus standi to speak out law and order issues since many people were shot dead by the police in Thoothukudi during the AIADMK regime, and two persons were beaten to death at the Sathankulam police station and innocent girls were sexually assaulted in Pollachi during Palaniswami’s rule.
Palaniswami, out of fear of the reports of the Aruna Jagadeesan and Arumughaswamy commissions, boycotted the State Assembly session, Thennarasu said, and denied Palaniswami’s allegation of a shortage of medicines in government hospitals.