AIADMK chief Palaniswami dubs DMK 'a family party, corporate company'

AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami on Sunday alleged that the ruling DMK is a family party and a corporate company with an aim to "loot" at the Centre by coming to power. Launching the Lok Sabha election campaign of his party and allies, Palaniswami, a former Chief Minister said the Centre’s Madurai AIIMS project was launched in Tamil Nadu due to the AIADMK regime (2011-21).

"What did you do?" he asked the DMK on project completion as it had as many as 38 MPs in Lok Sabha (2019-24). Referring to Tamil Nadu Minister and DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin showing a 'brick' in his campaign in previous polls to indicate that the AIIMS project was a non-starter, Palaniswami said there was no use displaying a brick in public. "He (Udhayanidhi) is showing brick for publicity. Please change the script," he told the DMK.

The project issue should have been taken up in the Parliament by the DMK to exert pressure on the Centre to complete it. In the 2019 LS polls, DMK and allies got 38 MPs from Tamil Nadu. They could have "shown the brick there (Lok Sabha)" to receive funds and complete that project. They did not have the courage to do that and they were mute, he alleged. Palaniswami alleged Stalin was a puppet and asked what could be expected from him. "What did CM Stalin achieve in three years after assuming power,"? he asked.

Palaniswami alleged the DMK wanted to "loot" at the Centre and in Tamil Nadu as well and that is why it is desperate to capture power at the Centre. The AIADMK chief claimed that there was nothing to showcase for the ruling party as its achievements and Chief Minister M K Stalin merely blamed him and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Lok Sabha election campaign. The AIADMK leader said his party was not concerned about Stalin’s criticism against the Prime Minister.