CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K Selvaperunthagai on Sunday flayed the AIADMK general secretary and former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS), accusing him of indulging in "third-rate politics" and speaking without political maturity or decency.

Speaking to reporters at the Satyamurthy Bhavan in Royapettah, Selvaperunthagai said, "EPS neither reads newspapers nor understands politics. After getting hold of a van, he travels around the State crying hoarse and hurling abuses. Is this how a former Chief Minister should behave?" He added that Palaniswami, who had surrendered Tamil Nadu's rights to the BJP-led Union government, had "no moral right to speak about the Congress."

He alleged that EPS speaks crudely and irresponsibly. “His politics have sunk to the lowest level imaginable, " he said.

The Congress leader also recalled that late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had opposed the NEET exam, GST, and the UDAY power scheme. "But EPS signed on to these central policies, betraying Tamil Nadu's interests," he said.

Turning to the BJP, the Sriperumbudur MLA criticised the party for "systematically diluting" the Right to Information (RTI) Act over the last decade. "It was under Sonia Gandhi's guidance and Manmohan Singh's leadership that India received the powerful RTI Act 20 years ago. Today, the BJP is trying to render it meaningless," he said, noting that more than 4.5 lakh RTI cases remain pending due to the lack of commissioners in BJP-ruled states.

On alliance dynamics, the TNCC chief reaffirmed that the Congress remained firmly within the DMK-led front. "We have contested five elections successfully as part of this victorious alliance. Tamil Nadu Congress will continue to follow the direction of the AlCC leadership," he said.

"Those who talk of coalition government are expressing their personal opinions. Our party stands united, focused on people's issues," he asserted.