Replying to the debate on Governor’s address on the final day of the session of the first Assembly of new government, Stalin said the Leader of Opposition, who claimed that the peak caseload was 7,000 per day in the AIADMK regime, spoke as if he ended his duty and responsibility as Chief Minister on February 26, the day election was notified for Tamil Nadu Assembly. “I would like to know if he did not do any government duty as CM after February 26. The caseload of TN was 6,618 when the then CM had held discussion with Ministers and officials on April 12.

On April 26 when he wrote to the PM seeking more vaccines the caseload of the state was 15,659,” he said, adding that the previous government should bear full responsibility for virus spread as COVID prevention works happened fully under the then CM’s supervision in April. Wondering if some prevented him (EPS) from engaging in coronavirus prevention measures, the CM sarcastically referred a Vijay Sethupathi starrer Tamil movie title (Nadvula Konjam Pakkathai Kanom) on memory loss, and said, “I would like to know if the previous AIADMK regime forgot to govern the state from February 26 to May 6. The caseload increased to 26,000 because of the negligence you showed after realising that you would not return to power.” Taking exception to Palaniswami’s statement that even medical experts did not know about the disease when COVID hit the state, Stalin recalled the LoP’s infamous “are you a doctor” comment and said, “Now no one can ask anyone if he/she is a doctor. Such is the situation.

This is not a political or party or governance issue. It is a people’s welfare issue. We should work together to prevent COVID spread. I am confident that the government will successfully stop coronavirus pandemic.”