Chief Minister defends Expressway project, lashes out at Vaiko in Tirupur

Campaigning for AIADMK’s Erode Lok Sabha candidate G Manimaran at Kangayam in Tirupur district, the Chief Minister sought to defend the Rs 10,000 crore eight-lane project, by claiming that it would boost the development of people in Coimbatore, Erode and Karur districts.

“This was a project brought by the Union government and the state government’s job is only to acquire and hand over the required land. Farmers may feel assured as the Union Minister Nitin Gadkari himself had promised adequate compensation,” he said.

Terming DMK leader MK Stalin’s allegations that Chief Minister would receive Rs 40,000 crore as commission in implementing the road project as an utter lie, Palaniswami said that tenders were finalized online and there is no chance for corruption.

“It was DMK’s style to fix contracts through suitcases. There is no possibility for such misdoings in our online tender system,” he said. It was on Sunday that Union Minister Nitin Gadkari declared in Salem that Chennai-Salem Green Corridor Project will be implemented after reaching a consensus with farmers. The Chief Minister also highlighted the contradictions in the Congress-DMK alliance. “In Tamil Nadu, the Communists have lent their support to Congress. But in neighbouring Kerala, the Congress and Communists are rivals. Parties without any principles have formed an alliance under the DMK,” he added.

Stating that none of the alliance partners in the Opposition were ready to accept Rahul Gandhi as the Prime Ministerial candidate, Palaniswami also questioned Stalin on the double standards of Congress. “In Karnataka, Rahul Gandhi says Cauvery Management Board will be dissolved and in Tamil Nadu, he says it will continue to function. Will Stalin clarify on this?” he asked.

Pointing to Vaiko as the worst critic of the DMK in the past, the Chief Minister said, he criticised the DMK-Congress as an alliance of corruption and also blamed Karunanidhi for the Sri Lankan genocide, but they are now facing the polls together.

“Vaiko should explain if the MDMK candidate contesting in the rising sun symbol is a DMK candidate or MDMK candidate. Only a party member can contest in its symbol and Vaiko has aligned with DMK for his selfish gains,” he said.