DMK president M.K. Stalin on Friday said Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami “hurriedly” announced the waiver of farm loans obtained from cooperative societies as the DMK had already promised to waive the amount on returning to power.
“It is an announcement made by the Chief Minister with an eye on the forthcoming Assembly election,” he said at a meeting organised in Pattaandivilai, near Nattaaththi, in the Srivaikundam Assembly constituency on Friday evening.
According to him, the ruling AIADMK had understood that its government would come to an end in three months, and it was doing everything possible to revive the sagging electoral prospects, but in vain. Similarly, the Chief Minister, like the “flash of light before death”, had made an announcement in the Assembly about the waiver of cooperative society loans, he said.
“The Chief Minister, who refused to do it (loan waiver) when the farmers were appealing to him and even when the court told him, has made the announcement now,” the DMK president said.
“As I have been promising voters for two months that that DMK will waive cooperative society loans, Mr. Palaniswami has made the announcement, eyeing the ensuing Assembly polls,” Mr. Stalin said.
‘Will cancel tenders’
Accusing the AIADMK government of awarding contracts to the tune of ₹2,885 crore towards the end of its tenure, Mr. Stalin also warned that when voted to power, his government would cancel these tenders.
“After three months, when the DMK comes to power, these tenders will be cancelled. The tenders for the contracts [for the various projects] will be awarded afresh in a transparent manner,” he said at an Ungal Thoguthiyil Stalin political outreach programme in Kovilpatti.
He said Mr. Palaniswami was heading “the most corrupt criminal Cabinet”. According to him, Mr. Palaniswami and his Ministerial colleagues would land in the Puzhal Central Prison in Chennai after three months “for having indulged in worst corruption in the history of Tamil Nadu”.
“The place you deserve is not Fort St. George… but Puzhal Central Prison, where you will be after three months for the corruption you are all involved in. This is governance being given by and for the corrupt and not for the people,” he alleged.
While the case against the Chief Minister pertaining to alleged irregularities in awarding of tenders was handed over to the CBI by the Madras High Court [stayed by Supreme Court], the judiciary was examining a plea for a CBI probe into the alleged accumulation of disproportionate assets against Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, he said.
The DMK leader charged other Ministers, including S.P. Velumani, Thangamani, C. Vijayabaskar and D. Jayakumar, with indulging in corruption. According to him, Mr. Palaniswami or his Cabinet colleagues had not “refuted” corruption charges levelled against them in a DMK memorandum submitted to the Governor.
Targeting Information Minister Kadambur C. Raju in his Kovilpatti constituency, he charged him with failing to implement development works, including laying of roads and executing drinking water schemes..
“As the Assembly election is approaching fast, the Minister is hurriedly laying foundation stones for new roads and schemes only to be completed in the worst quality,” Mr. Stalin charged.
Some participants at the meeting aired grievances, and sought action against those responsible for the police firing at the anti-Sterlite protesters.
Mr. Stalin said grievances registered through DMK cadre at the venue, with acknowledgement carrying the registration number, would be resolved within 100 days of the party coming to power.