COIMBATORE: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday launched a sharp attack on AIADMK general secretary ‘Edappadi’ K Palaniswami, saying the previous AIADMK regime failed to curb crimes against women in Tamil Nadu.
Addressing a campaign meeting in Erode, canvassing votes for DMK and Secular Progressive Alliance candidates, Stalin said Palaniswami has no locus standi to speak on women’s safety, as it was during the AIADMK regime Pollachi sex scandal and misconduct of a DGP against a woman SP happened.
“However, the DMK government secured punishment for the accused in the Pollachi sex scandal and obtained a compensation of Rs 85 lakh for the victims. Women’s safety remained a question mark during the previous AIADMK regime,” he said, adding that there was a long history of crimes against women associated with AIADMK.
“It includes the arson of three girl students in a bus in Dharmapuri and acid attack on a woman IAS officer. However, the DMK government enforced stringent laws including provisions to enable death penalty in crimes against women,” he said.
Claiming that in over 86 per cent of cases involving crimes against women and children, charge sheets were filed within 60 days by the dravidian model of government, Stalin said Tamil Nadu tops in the country in number of women going to job. “Our government restored confidence, enabling women to pursue education and employment without fear. This in turn has encouraged industrial growth in the state,” he said.
Listing out various schemes implemented for the welfare of women, Stalin said the dravidian model of government has ensured that across Tamil Nadu, there is at least one member of a family benefitting out of schemes implemented by the DMK government.
Accusing Palaniswami of spreading misinformation with a dream of bringing the BJP’s NDA government in Tamil Nadu, Stalin said the DMK led alliance was together by its ideology. “However, in 2016, Amit Shah said the AIADMK’s cabinet is the most corrupt. But now the same corrupt group is with Amit Shah,” he said.
Alleging that Palaniswami awarded tenders to his relative, another minister was involved in illegal sale of gutka and award of tenders for local bodies, Stalin, attacked NDA alliance leaders, without naming TTV Dhinakaran for bribing the election commission and Anbumani Ramadoss for irregularities in granting permission for medical college.
“Such people who should be in the dock have now come together to betray people. Theirs is a betrayal alliance, which should be defeated and thrown out,” he said.
Stating that neither Palaniswami or Prime Minister Narendra Modi has no achievements to boast as theirs, Stalin hit out at the slow pace of AIIMS work underway in Madurai.
“We have a list of their betrayals of NDA that includes denial to scrap NEET, declining metro projects, amending Citizenship Act and enactment of three farm laws. Also, failure to protect weavers from US tariffs, failure to protect MSME from impact of West Asian war,” he said.