EPS an ‘accidental CM,’ says Cong

Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president KS Alagiri on Tuesday said the former minister’s gradual rise in public life was history and posts/responsibilities have only come to him and he had never gone behind the posts.

Chief Minister Palaniswami had questioned Chidambaram’s achievements and called him a burden on earth, apparently responding in kind to the jibe the latter took at the ruling AIADMK at a meeting on Article 370 abrogation organised by the state Congress unit at Satyamurthy Bhavan on Sunday. “People of Tamil Nadu know how Palaniswami came to power and before whom he had prostrated after rising to power to demonstrate his loyalty,” said Alagiri, in a strongly worded statement targeting the CM.

Accusing Palaniswami of criticising ‘irresponsibly’ instead of responding appropriately to the minister’s speech on Kashmir, the TNCC chief listed out the achievements of Chidambaram, especially the doubling of the GDP from Rs 54.80 lakh crore to Rs 1.5 lakh crore during the 2004-14 UPA period and wondered if the list of schemes implemented by him would suffice or does the CM need more? Advising the “accidental Chief Minister” Palaniswami not to belittle, even if he could not appreciate a leader who must be lauded by the entire state, the TNCC chief urged the CM not to throw stones from the glass house.