VELLORE: Chief Minister MK Stalin, who says he feels happy when youth call him ‘appa’ (father), is turning a deaf ear to the cries of women whose safety is threatened in the state, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said on Sunday.
Addressing AIADMK Vellore zone youth and young girls camp conference at the Fort Ground, Palaniswami said, “Stalin, who calls himself ‘father’, remains silent when girls are continually sexually harassed in Tamil Nadu. In the last two months alone, 107 Pocso cases have been registered, and 56 women have been subjected to sexual assault. People are asking Stalin why he is unable to hear their cries.”
Palaniswami also raised concerns about ‘electoral integrity’, alleging that 10,000 to 20,000 fake voters have been added to the voters’ list in each Assembly constituency. He called upon AIADMK workers to conduct field inspection, identify and remove fake voters, and ensure the victory of the party’s candidates in the 2026 election.
Expressing confidence that the AIADMK will win all 234 seats in the election and not just 200, Palaniswami, once again, said a powerful alliance led by the AIADMK will be formed to fulfil the aspirations of party workers and the people of Tamil Nadu.
Highlighting the AIADMK’s strong youth base, the former chief minister announced a new initiative called the rural sports team to engage young people. He urged the youth to work like dedicated soldiers and actively take part in poll-related work.
Palaniswami also criticised the union government’s stance on granting funds.
Taking a dig at the DMK government, Palaniswami said, “The DMK has no principles, and it had joined hands with the ruling party at the centre more than once irrespective of ideologies — with the BJP in 1999 and with the Congress in 2004. The centre is now saying that it will release funds only if Tamil Nadu accepts the three-language policy. This is unacceptable. The DMK, which has 39 MPs, has to put pressure on the centre and ensure that funds are released for programmes like the rural job scheme.”