SALEM: AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Thursday hit back at criticism surrounding his recent Delhi visit, dismissing as “baseless” claims that he tried to hide his face after meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
“I travelled in official government cars from Tamil Nadu House to meet the Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan and then the home minister, along with other senior leaders. After the meeting, I simply wiped my face. To twist that into me hiding is wrong. If this continues, I may even have to inform the media before going to the restroom,” EPS said, accusing the press of deliberately targeting him.
EPS reminded that while Stalin now criticises him, when he was the Opposition Leader, he disrupted the Assembly during a confidence motion, and even had his shirt torn. “Who behaves like that?” he asked.
Palaniswami then accused Chief Minister M.K. Stalin of double standards, recalling that the DMK once showed black flags to the Prime Minister but now rolls out red carpets and hosts grand events after coming to power.
He also questioned Stalin’s recent praise of Senthil Balaji at DMK’s Mupperum Vizha celebrations at Karur. “This is the same Stalin who once levelled charges against him. Has Senthil Balaji suddenly become saintly? Are there no other senior DMK leaders?” he asked.
He further highlighted the role of Minister Raghupathi, noting he had first risen under AIADMK before crossing over.
Reiterating AIADMK’s commitment to discipline, EPS warned that defiance of party control would attract action. On T.T.V. Dhinakaran, he reminded that Jayalalithaa had expelled him in 2011. “Only after her death did he return to Chennai. Now he puts baseless allegations on me, after suddenly demanding Bharat Ratna for Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar,” he remarked.
On governance failures, EPS cited the kidney scandal at a DMK MLA-run hospital. “Even after probes confirmed illegal organ harvesting, no action was taken. They only cancelled the kidney transplant license,” he alleged.
He also accused the DMK of betraying Tamil Nadu’s students on NEET. “They promised to abolish the exam, but failed. That deceit has already cost 25 young lives,” he said.
Meanwhile, EPS consolidated AIADMK’s ranks with major inductions. At Omalur, nearly 500 DMK members joined AIADMK , while at Valasaiyur in Salem district, close to 2,000 cadres from various parties switched sides.
EPS also promised that an AIADMK government would bring back law and order, revive Amma Mini Clinics, and restore welfare schemes like marriage aid with gold for thali, silk sarees for brides, and silk dhotis for grooms.
He pointed out that thousands of people from other parties had joined AIADMK in Salem. He said this wave of support, along with the massive public response, showed that people were ready to end the DMK’s rule and bring AIADMK back to power. So far, he has also covered nearly 153 assembly constituencies in his statewide campaign.