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The war of words intensified in poll-bound Tamil Nadu on Thursday with former Chief Minister and AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami alleging that DMK leader Kanimozhi has been sidelined in her party and "continues to talk so much".
His remarks came a day after Kanimozhi accused the opposition of being disconnected from the people. He claimed that Kanimozhi does not have decision-making power in her party. "She (DMK MP Kanimozhi) has been sidelined in that party; has she been 'appointed' to any position? Despite having been assigned no responsibilities, she continues to talk so much," Palaniswami said. Kanimozhi, MP, who has been actively campaigning for DMK candidates for April 23 assembly polls, had on Wednesday described the Jolarpet Assembly poll as "an election to safeguard the self-respect of Tamil Nadu". The DMK deputy general secretary campaigned for DMK candidate Kavitha and slammed Palaniswami. "He meets the public only during elections and remains absent for the rest of the five-year term. His routine involves travelling from Edappadi to Chennai, then to Delhi to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and returning, without engaging meaningfully with the people of Tamil Nadu," she alleged. She said people will teach Palaniswami a lesson in the election. "He went back on his earlier statement of not aligning with the BJP. People will teach him a lesson in this election," she alleged. Kanimozhi cited Chief Minister MK Stalin and said "this election is not merely between political parties but between Tamil Nadu and forces which oppose its interests". "It is an election to uphold the dignity of the state, to ensure that Tamil Nadu is not made to bow its head, and to secure the future of the Tamil people," she said. Kanimozhi also criticised the Union government over financial allocations. "Funds due to Tamil Nadu, amounting to Rs 3,600 crore for education, have been withheld, while states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh are being provided financial support. Conditions are being imposed linking funding to the promotion of Hindi," she alleged. "While there are many people willing to teach Tamil, the Union government has failed to contribute to the growth of the language or support Tamil students, even as schemes are often named only in Hindi. Many central government schemes are named in Hindi, making them less accessible to non-Hindi speakers. Take the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, for example; people often do not understand the meaning of such names." Palaniswami on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on Stalin, and said DMK-led government should be "thrown out" in the assembly elections. Addressing an election campaign rally in Chennai's Velachary, Palaniswami alleged that law and order situation has deteriorated in the DMK-led government. "This election is one where MK Stalin should be thrown out of government. In the last five years of the DMK government, law and order have been at their worst. Even small girl children and elderly women are not safe in Tamil Nadu, particularly in Chennai. During our AIADMK government, law and order were well maintained. What has the DMK done in the last five years?" he asked. "Stalin promised to construct a stormwater drainage system, but in the Velachery area, even after a short spell of rain, roads are flooded with water. DMK members eat in hotels without paying. Traders and shopkeepers are living in fear. Once AIADMK comes to power, we will change this situation," he added. Palaniswami accused DMK government of being "family oriented". "People should think carefully and vote for our AIADMK-led NDA alliance. As long as this DMK government is in power, ganja sales cannot be stopped. Once AIADMK comes to power, we will ensure that ganja is eradicated in Tamil Nadu. This is a family-run government," he alleged. Votes will be counted for Tamil Nadu assembly polls on March 4. (ANI)
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