CHENNAI: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday attacked actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam president Vijay, alleging that the latter’s ignorance was unbecoming of a party leader and dared him to address the media and understand what was happening in the country.
“Let Vijay address a press conference like this to understand what is happening in the country,” Palaniswami said, while responding to questions regarding the actor-politician’s attack on AIADMK in his recent speech. The leader of opposition was interacting with reporters after announcing five new poll promises of his party following a meeting of the party’s district secretaries in Chennai.
On Vijay’s insinuation that the BJP was leading the alliance in Tamil Nadu which AIADMK is part of, Palaniswami said, “He rarely appears in public and is unaware of what is happening in the state. Even after the Karur tragedy, he surfaced only after 72 hours. He does not even know which parties are in alliance or who leads them. When the alliance was formed, Union Home Minister Amit Shah clearly stated that the AIADMK leads it and that I am the chief ministerial candidate. Such ignorance is unbecoming of a party leader.”
Regarding the TVK chief describing AIADMK as a corrupt party, he said, “He did not specify which party is corrupt and which one is an evil force”. The former CM added that Vijay in no way can describe the AIADMK as a corrupt party since he has accepted AIADMK’s leaders, M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa, as his role models. “When I was CM, corruption charges were levelled against me, and I have proved them wrong in the court,” he said. In a veiled dig at former AIADMK senior leader K A Sengottaiyan, Palaniswami said said that he was the one imprisoned for corruption and who has now joined Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam.
On the party’s new polls promises, including waiver of educational loans and other welfare measures targeting elderly people, minorities, people with disabilities and jallilkattu enthusiasts, Palaniswami said that the AIADMK government will increase revenue sources to fulfil electoral promises. The earlier five promises made last month included increasing the cash assistance for women from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 and expanding the free bus travel for men.
He recalled that during the Covid-19 pandemic, the AIADMK managed the state’s expenditure with no revenue being generated. After considering the report of the election manifesto committee, the AIADMK will release the final list of electoral promises, he added.
On the allegation of former AIADMK MLA Manoj Pandian, who is now with the DMK, that the soul of former CM J Jayalalithaa would be haunting Palaniswami, the leader said, “Just because Amma’s soul chased him away, Manoj Pandian has joined the DMK. Genuine AIADMK office-bearers are here, blessed by her.”