DMK rode on false promises to capture power in Tamil Nadu, says AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami

Chief Minister MK Stalin is yet to fulfil promises like monthly aid of Rs 1,000 for homemakers, waiver of education loans, and reduction of petrol and diesel prices, alleged Palaniswami during a statewide protest by the opposition party.

The AIADMK staged a statewide protest in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday alleging that the DMK made false electoral promises to come to power. Senior leaders Edappadi K Palaniswami, O Panneerselvam, SP Velumani, Kadambur C Raju, D Jayakumar and several other functionaries took part in it.

Opposition leader and AIADMK co-coordinator Palaniswami, who protested in front of his residence in Salem, said, “a total of 505 poll promises were mentioned in the DMK manifesto. Even the most important ones among those were not fulfilled by the DMK government after coming to power. These protests intend to make the Stalin-led government implement the promises they made. Stalin said after he becomes the chief minister he would suspend NEET exams but no action has been taken on this. The committee appointed by the government was a mere eyewash. Stalin has not made a clear announcement whether NEET will be conducted or not, the parents and students are confused,” Palaniswami said.

Palaniswami also claimed that Chief Minister MK Stalin has not yet fulfilled the promises like monthly aid of Rs 1,000 for homemakers, waiver of education loans and loans on jewels pledged up to five sovereigns, and reduction of petrol and diesel prices.

Palaniswami added that there are irregularities in the calculation of power tariffs. “The public is complaining that they are overcharged. The electricity minister is saying they should approach the concerned officials. When we were in power, Tamil Nadu was a power-surplus state. We ensured that there were no power cuts. The industries, farmers functioned without any hindrance. The current government should take steps to address these power-cut issues,” he said.

He said people are agitated and to divert them, the Stalin-led government is conducting raids, registering false cases against AIADMK leaders. When asked about DMK’s claim that debt left behind by the previous AIADMK government is pulling back the current one, Palaniswami said when the DMK government lost in the 2011 elections and went out of power, they left behind a debt of Rs 1 lakh crore. He said 60 per cent of the loans during AIADMK’s regime was taken for welfare measures and it was an investment.

‘No one can hijack AIADMK’

No one can hijack AIADMK, former Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister and the party’s coordinator O Panneerselvam has reiterated. His remark comes at a time when expelled AIADMK leader VK Sasikala and Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) founder TTV Dhinakaran have been making comments that they would take over the party soon.

Panneerselvam said a single person or a family cannot dominate AIADMK. “As coordinators, former chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami and I have been democratically running the party for the past four years. This process will continue,” he said.