TIRUCHY: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday launched a scathing attack on DMK minister and Tiruchy East MLA KN Nehru, alleging ‘large-scale land scams, misuse of authority and neglect of civic issues’.
Addressing a gathering on Bishop Road in Puthur as part of his election campaign, Palaniswami charged that Nehru and his associates were behind irregular land dealings, including 300 acres near the Panjapur integrated bus terminus.
Palaniswami alleged that the new bus terminus was deliberately located adjacent to Nehru’s landholdings to inflate their market value, and 500 acres belonged to G-Square, which functioned as a ‘DMK proxy firm’.
Palaniswami further accused Nehru’s associates of forcibly acquiring 17 acres belonging to the Chidambaram Chettiar Annadhanam Trust, and highlighted complaints of temple lands in Srirangam being illegally registered under G-Square.
“Once AIADMK returns to power, all illegally acquired land will be retrieved and restored to the rightful owners,” Palaniswami said.
In a separate meeting at Manapparai, Palaniswami turned his attack on the state’s education policy, accusing the DMK government of ‘humiliating’ government school students through circulars that directed headmasters to monitor drug use in classrooms. “Instead of celebrating their achievements, students are being insulted,” Palaniswami said, linking it to his charge that Tamil Nadu had become a ‘drug state’ under the DMK rule.
Case against 14 cadre
A case was registered on Monday against 14 AIADMK cadre for allegedly assaulting an ambulance driver during AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami’s campaign in Thuraiyur on Sunday. According to sources, a 75-year-old man fainted during the campaign, and an ambulance was called for help.
As the ambulance approached near the venue, 14 AIADMK cadres allegedly blocked the ambulance, damaged the vehicle, verbally abused and assaulted the ambulance driver and a female technician.