TVK govt blaming DMK for every issue, says Udhayanidhi; alleges decline in Assembly standards

CHENNAI: Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin on Sunday accused the ruling TVK government of lowering the standards of the State Assembly and deflecting criticism by attributing every issue to the DMK, while alleging that the State was facing multiple governance challenges.

Speaking at the wedding ceremony of a DMK functionary’s family in Orathanadu in Thanjavur district, Udhayanidhi said the government’s public image had weakened within weeks of assuming office as people were beginning to question its performance. He alleged that young people had started raising questions over the government’s decisions and claimed that DMK cadre and others criticising the administration were being arrested.

“The government came to power claiming to represent clean governance. Within minutes, it resorted to horse-trading to secure power,” he alleged.

Referring to the situation in the agriculture sector, Udhayanidhi claimed that recurring power outages had affected farmers across the State. He said farmers had staged protests, contending that the government’s special package for the Kuruvai cultivation season was inadequate. When the issue was raised in the Assembly, he said, the Chief Minister attributed the protests to the DMK instead of addressing the concerns.

The Opposition leader also alleged that law and order had deteriorated and said the government had failed to respond to issues raised by the Opposition in the Assembly. “People who watched the proceedings on television were left wondering whether it was the Legislative Assembly, a cinema hall or a film shooting spot,” he said, accusing the ruling party of reducing the dignity of the House.

Claiming that the government had a ‘ready answer’ of blaming the DMK for every issue, Udhayanidhi said the State was passing through a difficult phase. He urged party workers to remain united and work together to restore Tamil Nadu and strengthen the party’s outreach among the public in the coming months.