CHENNAI: Slamming Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami for accusing the State police of denying permission to the public protest against the tungsten mining project, Law Minister S Regupathy said that a coward EPS was unable to even mention the name of the BJP regime on the tungsten mining project issue.
Taking strong exception to Palaniswami’s comments, minister S Ragupathy said, "He anticipated something untoward will happen in the farmers' protest to score political brownie points and was left disappointed. As usual, liar Palaniswami lied that permission was denied for the protest."
"If EPS really was a LoP with a spine, he must have mentioned that the farmers' protest was against the Union government. However, a meticulous Palaniswami ensured that there was not even an accidental mention of the BJP-led union government in his post. Palaniswami's bravery is only so much. He will cry foul if we call him a coward," Regupathy added.
"EPS does not dare to condemn the Governor who insulted the Tamil anthem and the Union government, which is denying funds for education and flood relief in the State. The LoP has not taken cognizance of the UGC shocker that the Governor would constitute the search panel for appointing vice-chancellors. But, he is desperate to prove his political relevance as the LoP. He has forgotten his capacity as the AIADMK general secretary. He is behaving like a BJP leader. The people of the State will teach a fitting lesson to EPS, who has forged a secret alliance with the BJP for political gains," the DMK minister remarked.
Clarifying that the State police only advised the protestors to travel by their vehicles from the Sikkampatty check post and protest at the central post office in Thallakulam, Regupathy said that the protesters rejected it, and the police had to stop them. The police only imposed some conditions on holding the protest, but EPS fabricated it as a denial of permission for the protest, he added.