Tamil Nadu: AIADMK to hold agitations against DMK

CHENNAI: Against the backdrop of the DVAC conducting searches on the premises of a former AIADMK minister, the main opposition, AIADMK, on Thursday decided to hold a state-wide agitation – likely to be black flag protests in front of houses, against the DMK government for not implementing the poll promises, including the reduction of fuel price, ₹1,000 monthly-aid to women home makers and abolishing NEET immediately after coming to power.
The agitation is expected to take place on July 28, sources said.
A meeting of party coordinator O Panneerselvam and joint coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami in the party headquarters at noon, attended by former ministers and district secretaries of Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur, saw leaders expressing strong views on the “false-narrative” of the DMK to win over the people in the elections after a hiatus of ten years.
“EPS said the DMK held black flag protests against opening of Tasmac outlets during Covid, whereas the party after coming to power opened them. The DMK leaders made tall claims in pre-elections about abolishing NEET in the first assembly session but failed. All such false promises have to be taken to the people,” said a senior functionary.
The dual leadership decided to drop into the party office at noon and called up the local secretaries and senior leaders after the reports emerged on the DVAC raids on the properties of the former minister. There was an open discussion with each leader slamming the DMK’s failure, while focussing on the AIADMK members as political vendetta. Condemning the government’s move, several participants told the leadership to expose the shortcomings of the M K Stalin-led government in its three-month regime, sources said.
A few functionaries had even taken a dig at the DMK leaders, who earlier criticised the AIADMK government of being subservient to the Centre, now hailing the BJP ministers at the Centre in Delhi. The state’s attempts to merge the newly-created Dr J Jayalalithaa University in Villupuram to Annamalai University in Cuddalore came in for sharp criticism.
“Panneerselvam said the DMK did not waive the crop and jewel loans as promised in its election manifesto but conveniently turned its focus on taking revenge on the AIADMK,” another leader said. The meeting reached a consensus to tell the people how they were misled by the DMK by its poll promises. Former higher education minister K P Anbalagan is said to have complained about the denial of access to garland the statue of Jayalalithaa on Marina since last week.