Advertisement hailing Edappadi as God, an insult to people: Ramadoss

PMK leader S. Ramadoss on Tuesday criticised a government advertisement being screened in cinema theatres, in which a woman hails Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami as a God.

In the advertisement, a temple priest asks a woman if an archana could be performed in the name of God. In response, the woman says the archana should be performed in the name of Mr. Palaniswami, whom she regards as a God.

“The State has had some Chief Ministers who have said there is no God, and others who have said God exists. But this is the first time that a Chief Minister has proclaimed himself to be a God,” Mr. Ramadoss said.

Stating that Tamil Nadu had nearly 1.5 crore young people without employment, he asked, “Could there be any other State that is at the bottom place when it comes to attracting investment?”

The State was reeling from debt of over ₹7 lakh crore, Mr. Ramadoss said, adding that against such a backdrop, it was unacceptable that the taxpayers’ money was being used for such “selfish” promotions. “The advertisement is an insult to the people of the State and to the Gods, and should be immediately withdrawn,” he said.

Meanwhile, PMK leader and Dharmapuri MP Anbumani Ramadoss questioned the continuation of Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo in the role of Managing Director of the Chennai Metropolitan Water and Sewarage Supply Board (Metrowater).

In a statement, he asked why the Tamil Nadu government was keen on having an officer of the Election Commission under its control. “The government is acting as if Mr. Sahoo is the only person who is qualified and efficient to run Metrowater,” he said.

No additional charge

DMK organisation secretary R.S. Bharathi on Tuesday demanded that the Chief Election Commissioner revoke the permission granted to Mr. Sahoo to hold additional charge as Managing Director of the Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewage Board.

In a representation to the Tamil Nadu Governor and the Chief Secretary, Mr. Bharathi said it was the first time a CEO, who is discharging duties under the Election Commission, has been given additional charge of another department.

Pointing out that the Election Commission was an independent Constitutional body, Mr. Bharathi said the government should restore the individuality of constitutional functioning of the CEO by relieving him of the additional charge.