CHENNAI: AIADMK general secretary and Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister MK Stalin and the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), accusing it of authoritarianism, poor governance and moral decline.
In a strongly worded statement titled “Tamil Nadu stands ashamed under Stalin’s rule”, Palaniswami alleged that law and order had deteriorated and administrative failures had mounted during the DMK’s 56-month tenure.
Drawing comparisons with historical dictators such as Hitler and Mussolini, he accused the Chief Minister of ruling with tyranny. He criticised the holding of a women’s conference at a time when crimes against women and children were allegedly on the rise, likening the situation to Nero playing the fiddle while Rome burned. He further alleged that the police force had been reduced to a political tool of the ruling party.
Raising concerns over public safety, Palaniswami cited recent incidents of violence, including the murder of an out-of-State woman in Taramani and the killing of a man and his two-year-old child while they attempted to prevent a sexual assault. He also alleged the involvement of a DMK functionary in a sexual assault case at the Nandanam Government Arts College.
On the economic front, he claimed that Tamil Nadu had become the most debt-burdened State in the country, accusing the government of laying foundation stones for projects without ensuring adequate funding.
He also warned of a growing drug menace across the State, alleging easy availability of narcotics even among school students. Accusing the DMK of corruption and of suppressing public protests, Palaniswami concluded by saying that the people would deliver a verdict for change in the forthcoming elections.