DMK president M.K. Stalin on Sunday accused Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami of remaining ungrateful to V K Sasikala “even though it was she who made him the Chief Minister” of Tamil Nadu.
“He is a betrayer, who kicked away the ladder (Sasikala),” Mr. Stalin said while campaigning for the party’s Uthiramerur constituency candidate K. Sundar.
“He became Chief Minister because his party leader Jayalalithaa died and Sasikala was lodged in prison. The revolt of Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, who created a separate faction, also facilitated him to become Chief Minister” Mr. Stalin said.
Recalling Mr Palaniswami’s speech that he was “not a lizard or snake to crawl”—in response to the criticism he crawled before Ms. Sasikala— Mr. Stalin said “betrayers are more poisonous.”
Alleging that Mr Palaniswami had spoken against the three farm-related laws in the manifesto released by his party only to cheat the farmers, he said the Chief Minister earlier ridiculed farmers who protested against the legislations in Delhi.
Claiming that even [some] Chief Ministers of the BJP-ruled States were opposing the farm laws, he said Mr. Palaniswami was the only Chief Minister who called farmers as “brokers.” “Does he have the guts to meet the protesting farmers in Delhi,” Mr. Stalin asked.
According to him, Mr. Palaniswami had “shamelessly” entered into an alliance with the BJP even though the government at the Centre failed to release the funds sought by Tamil Nadu to overcome the losses caused by Cyclones Ockhi, Gaja and Burevi and the GST-share due to the State.
“While DMK MPs are raising their voices in Parliament, the AIADMK members remained silent like slaves. What is their contribution to Tamil Nadu? The Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues are swaying their legs,” Mr. Stalin said.
He said the efforts of those who sought to impose Hindi and NEET and incite Hindu religious fervour would not succeed in Tamil Nadu, the land of Periyar and Kalaignar. “Before casting your vote, think whether you need a government that will protect the rights of the State or a government of slaves,” he said.
He also called upon the voters not to elect the BJP and AIADMK candidates, saying even if a single AIADMK candidate was elected it would be a victory of the BJP. “In Lok Sabha, the son of Mr. Panneerselvam is functioning like a BJP MP,” he said.