CM Vijay went into 72-day Panaiyur lockdown after Karur: EPS

COIMBATORE: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Sunday accused Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay of not even paying formal tributes to the dead who attended his poll rally in Karur last year. 

He claimed the TVK chief hid himself in his Panaiyur residence for 72 days when other political parties were mourning and helping the victims' kin.  

He questioned Vijay’s response to the tragedy and alleged that the TVK president did not visit the injured in hospitals or the homes of those who died. “Vijay left Karur soon after the incident and remained away from public view for an extended period. He did not visit those admitted to hospitals or the homes of the victims to offer condolences, unlike leaders of other political parties,” Palaniswami said.

He also criticised Vijay for inviting bereaved families to Chennai to meet him instead of visiting their homes to offer condolences.

Turning his attention to the Dharapuram by-election, Palaniswami alleged that TVK’s candidate had entered the party through “horse-trading” and urged voters to teach her a “befitting lesson” for betraying the people’s mandate.

Palaniswami further claimed that even Left parties that had extended political support to TVK had expressed reservations about its functioning and warned that they could reconsider their support if the situation continued.

Targeting the TVK over unfulfilled electoral promises, Palaniswami questioned the proposal to construct a new Secretariat using borrowed funds, accusing the government of spending excessively.

“Vijay is a costly Chief Minister. Around Rs.4.5 crore was spent to release water from the Mettur dam,” he said. Palaniswami also criticised the government over power cuts, alleging that interruptions had become frequent even during programmes attended by Ministers.

Palaniswami also hit back at Vijay’s criticism that AIADMK was a “branch of the DMK”, displaying a photograph of Vijay riding a bicycle with a sticker bearing the DMK's flag colours during the 2021 Assembly election.

“TVK is a branch of the DMK, not AIADMK,” Palaniswami said, while dismissing Vijay’s claim that AIADMK would eventually merge with TVK. He said AIADMK had remained politically resilient despite facing several challenges since its formation.

Palaniswami launched his strongest attack while referring to the Karur stampede, in which 41 people died during a TVK campaign rally.