CHENNAI: Questioning the functioning of the TVK-led State government, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday asked whether Chief Minister Joseph Vijay was undergoing a “six-month crash course” to run the administration and whether the people of Tamil Nadu should continue to suffer until then.
Even as he assured the cadre that all necessary steps were being taken to help the party recover from the current crisis, the AIADMK chief alleged that the State is in a deep crisis due to failures in law and order, claiming that Vijay’s priorities are elsewhere. Palaniswami cited the recent murder of a 23-year-old man in Tondiarpet and asked whether questioning the sale of ganja in the State had become punishable by death.
He also took exception to the Chief Minister’s recent remarks in Tiruchy that officials had been appointed to address governance issues. Pointing out that the same bureaucracy serves under successive governments, Palaniswami said the problem lay not with officials but with the leadership. “The Chief Minister, who also holds the Home portfolio, is not ready to take responsibility for law and order,” he alleged.
EPS further criticised the reported postponement of the launch of the ‘Singappenn Force’, an initiative announced for women’s safety. He alleged that all arrangements for the launch had been completed last week, but the programme was cancelled at the last minute as the Chief Minister chose to attend a family function.
Stepping up his attack, Palaniswami described the dispensation as a “fake horse government” and alleged that the Chief Minister continued to function like a “reel hero” by delivering only punch dialogues instead of addressing pressing governance issues.
Urging the Chief Minister Vijay and the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam to come out of what he termed an “imaginary world”, the AIADMK leader said maintaining law and order was the primary responsibility of any government and demanded that the administration act decisively to restore public confidence.
Meanwhile, Palaniswami appealed to the party functionaries working at various levels not to be discouraged by the present ordeal facing the AIADMK. “Victory and defeat come and go. The party will not be disheartened by defeat. The party will soon recover from this situation and achieve a great victory in the upcoming elections,” Palaniswami said in a statement.
He recalled that the party founder, late MG Ramachandra, had faced various betrayals and achieved success since the day he started the AIADMK.
“Some people, after enjoying various positions in the party, are now engaged in activities to destroy the party,” Palaniswami said, adding, “Their intentions will never come true.”
A minor scuffle broke out between supporters of AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and former minister SP Velumani in Pollachi on Tuesday.
Palaniswami visited the residence of senior AIADMK leader and former minister Pollachi V Jayaraman at Thippampatti near Pollachi to offer condolences following the demise of Jayaraman’s mother, Saraswathi Ammal. He paid floral tributes to her portrait and expressed his sympathies to the bereaved family.
As Velumani entered the premises, a party functionary allegedly raised slogans against him, calling him a traitor. Jayaraman immediately intervened and admonished the individual in an attempt to defuse the situation.
However, tensions escalated when an argument broke out between supporters of Velumani and Palaniswami.