Chennai, Mar 28 (PTI) AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday alleged that several “B teams” were formed and many tried to “break” the AIADMK by filing cases in court, but all that has been smashed and shattered into pieces.
Without naming expelled AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam, Palaniswami, while garnering votes in North Chennai for the April 23 Assembly polls, here, said, “Several internal problems were created in the party and now see where they (Panneerselvam) have gone.” “The true face (of Panneerselvam) has come out. The cat is out of the bag. After Amma’s (As Jayalalithaa is fondly called, meaning mother) demise, many tried to capture this movement intentionally. But with the help of you all and party supporters, we stopped and have proven that AIADMK is a strong movement,” he said.
“After Amma passed away (on December 5, 2016) they thought the party would break. They tried so much to break this party by creating some B teams. But, along with the support of the people and party cadres, all that has been smashed and shattered into pieces,” he said.
Stressing that the party had been started for the welfare of the poor by the late Chief Minister M G Ramachandran, Palaniswami said after his demise the movement got split.
“But Amma (Jayalalithaa) united them and fulfilled the dreams of our revolutionary leader (M G Ramachandran),” he said amid thunderous applause from the audience during the party’s “Makkalai Kappom, Thamizhagathai Meetpom” campaign here.
The only party to have ruled Tamil Nadu for 31 years is the AIADMK and because of it, the state secured top rank among other states in India, he claimed.
Observing that the party follows democracy, he said in the DMK it is not so, as no matter how much one toils hard for the party’s growth they would not get any recognition. The ruling DMK’s objective was to only “loot”, he said, and asked the people whether such a party should come to power again. The people replied, “no”.
Palaniswami said it was his government that obtained the approval for the Rs 63,000 crore metro rail project in the state.
“This is an achievement of the AIADMK. Has any such achievement been attained by the DMK in their five-year rule,” he asked.
Later, addressing a gathering at Tiruvottiyur, he appealed to the electorate to vote for the party’s candidate Kuppan in Tiruvottiyur and ‘Madhavaram’ Murthy for Madhavaram.
Attacking DMK chief M K Stalin on commenting about the AIADMK-led NDA, Palaniswami said, “A genuine alliance forms on its own. What we have is a natural alliance. What the DMK has stitched together is a slave alliance.” On seat-sharing, he said Stalin “humiliated” long-standing allies by providing more seats to new entrants in the alliance. “This (DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance) is not an alliance of conviction, but of compulsion,” he claimed.
Asserting that the AIADMK leads the NDA in Tamil Nadu, he said, “It is the AIADMK that will form the government and I am the chief ministerial candidate. This has been clearly stated.” He questioned Stalin whether the BJP was a “bad party” when DMK formed an alliance with it in 1999 and in 2001.
Slamming the DMK over corruption, he claimed that the state liquor shops (TASMAC) sell 1.5 crore bottles daily and a Rs 10 surcharge per bottle has resulted in a Rs 24,000 crore scam over the last four years. “The Enforcement Directorate has evidence. When AIADMK forms the government, legal action will be taken,” he said.
Palaniswami also flayed the DMK over the law and order situation in Tamil Nadu, alleging that no family feels safe in the state.
Listing out some of the initiatives that his party would take post winning the Assembly polls, Palaniswami said the AIADMK would provide Rs 25 lakh as a solatium to families of fishermen who lose their lives at sea, construct free housing for fishing families and enhancing compensation provided during fishing ban from Rs 8,000 to Rs 12,000.
He reiterated that the AIADMK government would provide Rs 2,000 as monthly assistance to women heads of families, Rs 10,000 special relief, free bus travel for men, refrigerators for ration card holders, subsidies for auto drivers. PTI VIJ VIJ KH
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