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All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary and Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday dismissed controversy surrounding his remarks on DMK MP Kanimozhi, asserting that his statement was misinterpreted and that he merely spoke about her position.
"I did not say she is position less. What I said is, does she receive the respect she deserves within her own family? No. In M. Karunanidhi's family, status is given only to MK Stalin. Kanimozhi has not been given that status. That is the reality. I merely expressed that reality. I did not speak ill of anyone. I only stated that Kanimozhi has not been given her rightful place in that family," he told ANI. The AIADMK leader's comments had sparked a political row earlier in the day, drawing reactions from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which accused him of making inappropriate remarks about the party MP. Speaking about the election campaign, Palaniswami expressed confidence in his party's prospects, highlighting both grassroots outreach. "I am a farmer--I have faced both scorching sun and heavy rain. We are not concerned about heat or rain. Our goal is for our party to form the government again. So we are actively campaigning for our party candidates and alliance candidates, reaching out to the people, explaining our achievements, and highlighting the shortcomings of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government. The election campaign is progressing well," he said. He rejected DMK's claims about its performance in the assembly polls. Edappadi alleged 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 the April 23 assembly polls, had on Wednesday described the Jolarpet Assembly poll as "an election to safeguard the self-respect of Tamil Nadu". Votes will be counted for the Tamil Nadu assembly polls on May 4. (ANI)
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