CHENNAI: DMDK general secretary Premalatha Vijayakant on Tuesday alleged that horse-trading and bargaining had taken place ahead of the confidence motion moved by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay in the Assembly, and urged him to clarify who had travelled in a vehicle with their face covered to meet him.
Participating in the discussion on the confidence motion, Premalatha recalled Vijay’s earlier assurance that his government would function transparently and serve as a model administration for Tamil Nadu. She said the people had welcomed his assertion that he did not come from a political family but from a simple background.
However, she said she was placing on record “with pain” that allegations of horse-trading were now being raised by all Opposition parties at a historic moment when the government was required to prove its majority on the Assembly floor. She said such allegations had never surfaced in Tamil Nadu’s political history in the present manner.
Referring to Vijay’s earlier remarks that there was no need for anyone to “cover their face” in his administration, she questioned who had travelled with their face covered to meet the Chief Minister and sought an explanation from him. “If the reason was horse-trading, there can be no greater embarrassment to this historic Assembly,” she said.
Premalatha also criticised the appointment of Ricky Rathan Pandit as Political Special Officer to the Chief Minister, alleging that he was being treated as Vijay’s “rajaguru”. She said that if he was only a personal adviser, he could have been retained in a private capacity, but questioned the message being sent to youngsters by appointing him to a high government position.
Stressing that words and actions must remain consistent, she said the youth had entrusted power to the present government with faith in democracy and expected it to set an example for future generations. She urged the government to function honestly and transparently and uphold people’s faith in democracy.
Concluding her speech, Premalatha said the administration should emerge as a model government for the youth and future generations and conveyed greetings on behalf of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam and its founder Vijayakanth.