CHENNAI: AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami condemned the arrest of the party's councillors on Thursday for protesting against the Tirupur Corporation’s decision to increase property tax and water charges. Crackdown against such democratic means of registering opposition is unacceptable, the Leader of the Opposition said.

Palaniswami called on the Chief Minister MK Stalin-led DMK government to revoke the urban local body's tax hike and not impose penalties. He criticised the DMK government for unleashing the police force to quell the ward members' protests and slammed the Tirupur Corporation’s ‘anti-people’ move.

Taking to social media, Palaniswami said that the administration of the Tirupur Corporation has also increased waste collection charges. In addition, the local body is imposing penalties for late payment of taxes and has now started levying GST on rental buildings. Despite protests from the councillors, the Mayor of the ruling party passed the resolution, endorsing these severe tax hikes, he added. "This is undemocratic and highly condemnable," EPS said.

Palaniswami held the DMK government responsible for the severe tax hike, saying it would be a huge burden on the public. He criticised that the DMK regime is making people pay for the government’s incompetency. He demanded that the government take immediate action to revoke the tax hike.