Countering criticism against DMK president and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin by AIADMK co-coordinator Edappadi K. Palaniswami, senior DMK leader and Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu said on Friday that the former Chief Minister should be proud of social justice in the State.
In a statement, Mr. Thennarasu said that by asking what danger came upon social justice Mr. Palaniswami was trying to take sides with the BJP against the reservation. “It seems he is worried that the past deeds of corruption would haunt him if he did not support the Union government...”
Even if no danger came upon social justice in the State ever since the DMK assumed office, the idea to float a national forum for social justice was to emphasise the concept nationwide. “The more Palaniswami criticised, the more his cunning political acumen would be exposed,” Mr. Thennarasu said. The Minister said Mr. Stalin had every right to speak about social justice. He asked what Mr. Palaniswami did during four years of his tenure as Chief Minister to ensure 27% reservation for the Other Backward Classes in the all-India quota for medical education.
Mr. Stalin’s initiative would help to carry the concepts of reservation and social justice across the country, Mr. Thennarasu said. Mr. Palaniswami, he added, was jealous that the Chief Minister’s letter was addressed to AIADMK coordinator O. Panneerselvam and not him. Mr. Palaniswami, who is in a party which is named after C.N. Annadurai and which has ‘Dravida’ in its name, should develop faith in social justice and be proud of the Tamil land, he said.
