TVK's motley allies from rival camp will topple govt, says EPS

COIMBATORE: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Sunday said the TVK government is unstable and could collapse any time.

Addressing a meeting of party functionaries in Salem, Palaniswami said the government survives with the support of alliance partners borrowed from its rival party. “They can withdraw their support at any time, and if that happens, the government will fall," he said.

Taking a swipe at Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay for describing both the DMK and the AIADMK as thieves during a recent public meeting in Karur, Palaniswami said that it was the TVK that was attempting to poach AIADMK MLAs elected on the party's two leaves symbol.

Claiming that the TVK had come to power by capitalising on social media campaigns and Vijay's popularity as a film actor rather than through public service, Palaniswami said the Chief Minister continued to deliver film-style dialogues even after assuming office.

Pointing out that incidents of murder, robbery and narcotics-related crimes had increased under the TVK government, the AIADMK leader said the ruling party had made numerous election promises without expecting to form the government and is now struggling because of financial constraints.

Expressing confidence in the AIADMK's electoral prospects, Palaniswami said the party would secure a decisive victory in the upcoming local body elections and subsequent electoral contests.

He also said AIADMK functionaries who had defected to the TVK would have to begin their political careers from scratch if they wished to return to the party. "Those who left the AIADMK and joined the TVK know their present situation. Anyone who returns to the AIADMK will have to begin their political journey from zero," he said.

Referring to the Supreme Court-monitored CBI investigation into the Karur stampede, Palaniswami alleged that the Union government had merely been watching developments without taking action.