Palaniswami betraying farmers, slams CM Stalin

COIMBATORE: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, accusing him of acting against the interest of farmers.

“Palaniswami, who identifies himself to be from Western belt, hasn’t done anything useful for this region, but betrays farmers by wearing a green shawl,” he said, while addressing a government event, after laying foundation stone for 23 new project worth Rs 91.9 crore, inaugurated 790 completed projects worth Rs 235.73 crore and distributed welfare aid of 278.62 crore to 1.84 lakh people.

On the Union government rejecting Tamil Nadu’s request to relax moisture content in paddy procurement, the Chief Minister slammed the leader of the opposition, saying, “If he were a real farmer, Palaniswami should have asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to accept Tamil Nadu’s demand.”

“He travels frequently to Delhi to meet various leaders, but never once did he raise the issue of farmers,” he said.

Terming the union government’s rejection of the Metro Rail proposal as the latest addition to Palaniswami’s betrayal list for the Western region, Stalin said the union government turned down the project based on the 2011 population census, but the actual population may have gone above 20 lakhs if a census is taken now.

Stalin said the Union government is determined not to fulfil any demands of Tamil Nadu that did not vote for the BJP. “Even cities in north India with less than 20 lakh population were given metro approvals. Palaniswami and a BJP MLA from Coimbatore are promising to bring metro projects if their parties come to power. If so, they have admitted that the BJP is taking revenge on people in Coimbatore and Madurai just because the DMK is in power,” he said.

Condemning Governor RN Ravi for raising security concerns while alleging the prevalence of extremist tendencies in the state and lack of efforts to develop the Tamil language, Stalin said, “The Pahalgam terrorist attack, bomb blast near Red Fort area, and Manipur conflict had all happened under the BJP’s rule.

“While praising the union government despite its failure to prevent such terrorist attacks, Governor RN Ravi has audaciously termed Tamil Nadu, which remains a heaven of peace as a ‘terrorrist state’”, he said adding, “When Tamil Nadu contributed generously for nations security during times of crisis, the governor’s speech to paint the people of Tamil Nadu as extremists is condemnable.”

Responding to the Governor's criticism of students' preference for learning English, the Chief Minister asked him not to lecture on love for the mother tongue, as Tamil Nadu has witnessed anti-Hindi agitations to keep our language alive.

Questioning the Governor for delaying the bill to establish a university in Kumbakonam named after former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, Stalin asserted that MPs would raise the issue in parliament. Citing data shared by Madurai MP Su Venkatesan, the Chief Minister highlighted that out of 31,458 crore allocated by railways for laying new tracks, the Southern Railways has allocated a meagre 301 crore, which is just one per cent of the total amount.

“The BJP treats Tamil Nadu as a state meant only for tax collection. It's because of such vendetta politics, the BJP has been handed out continuous defeats in Tamil Nadu,” he said. Claiming that 1.14 crore women in the state are receiving the monthly assistance of Rs 1000 per month, Stalin said those left out would also be given from next month.