Mute in Parl over Union snatching State's rights, AIADMK slinging mud at DMK govt: CM Stalin

COIMBATORE: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday hit out at AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami saying the Leader of the Opposition was spreading lies, unable to tolerate the popularity of the DMK government.

Stalin claimed the AIADMK was envious of the successful implementation of welfare schemes in the State.

“AIADMK Rajya Sabha members do not have the guts to raise a single question against the Union government, which is snatching away the rights of the State. You (Palaniswami) shout at us, but do you have the guts to speak against the Union government? What is the reason behind your fears?” Stalin asked at a government programme to inaugurate new projects and distribute welfare assistance in Erode.

AIADMK has been involved in false campaigns and spreading lies on a daily basis Stalin said.

“The DMK government's achievements are made despite a non-supportive Union government, overcoming all the hurdles thrown our way," Stalin said. The DMK president asserted that there is nothing wrong with an opposition party criticising the ruling party. "But lies shouldn’t be peddled just because there is nothing to find fault with a government," he said.

Claiming that the State government handled the recent Cyclone Fenjal effectively by ensuring well-organised preventive measures, he added that the government machinery worked day and night to bring back normalcy in the affected districts. The State government carried out all relief works without waiting for funds from the Union government, CM said.

Dismissing allegations that the Sathanur dam was opened without issuing alerts, Stalin said major life loss was averted because of timely warnings issued. He claimed that flood alerts were sounded five times to villages along the river banks.

“On the other contrary, it was during the AIADMK rule that the Chembarambakkam lake was opened without a warning leading to the deaths of over 200 persons and the inundation of 23 lakh houses in Chennai. It was a man-made disaster, which has also been cited in the CAG report,” he said.

On the tungsten mining issue, Stalin criticised Palaniswami, saying rather than condemning the Union government for issuing tenders, he blamed our government, which passed a resolution against the project in the Assembly, even before the opposition parties raised the issue. “But it was the AIADMK MPs who had voted to support the amended law in parliament to issue tenders for tungsten mining,” he said.

Stalin inaugurated 559 projects completed at a cost of Rs 951.20 crore, laid the foundation stone for 222 new projects and distributed welfare assistance to 50,088 beneficiaries to the tune of Rs 284.02 crore in Erode.