Sivaganga (Tamil Nadu) Apr 1 (PTI) AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday launched a scathing counterattack against Chief Minister M K Stalin for calling him a ‘Sanghi’ and questioned whether the DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi and former Union Minister Murasoli Maran were also Sanghis for their past alliances with the BJP.
Addressing an election rally here, Palaniswami castigated Stalin for alleging the AIADMK had “bloodstains of those killed in protests opposing CAA”, and rejected that accusation.
Turning his focus to the law and order status, Palaniswami pointed to the high number of cases registered under the POCSO Act during the current DMK regime.
“My hands are clean, you are the witnesses. But under the DMK rule, 18,000 children have been subjected to sexual abuse, and thousands of cases have been registered under the POCSO Act,” said Palaniswami, alleging women and children had no safety under the DMK regime.
While rule of law prevailed during the AIADMK regime, in DMK regime it has become a laughing stock.
Palaniswami displayed an old, undated photograph of late leaders M Karunanidhi and Murasoli Maran alongside the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and asked if the two late leaders –Karunanidhi and Maran– were ‘Sanghi’ leaders.
Implicitly, Stalin has agreed that Karunanidhi, Murasoli Maran were Sanghi leaders. Palaniswami alleged that “out of fear of defeat Stalin implored Congress and formed alliance with grand old party.” Sanghi is a term used by those belonging to the DMK and its allies to target the BJP and RSS. In general, Sanghi is perceived as a reference to a follower of the RSS.
The AIADMK chief said Stalin was deliberately speaking ill, in a defamatory manner against him and the AIADMK.
He asked the chief minister to use words appropriately in keeping with his stature and he warned that his party would hit back.
“If AIADMK cadres start responding to jibes like Sanghi aimed at me, Stalin will not be able to bear it,” he said.
While Stalin targeted him for visiting Delhi often to meet Amit Shah, the AIADMK chief paid back in the same coin and asked why Kanimozhi visited Delhi to meet Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over seat-sharing.
The AIADMK leader promised that his party would eradicate the drug menace. “Within three months of AIADMK coming to power it is certain that with your support the government will be formed and drugs will be completely eradicated from the state,” he said.
On the welfare front, Palaniswami announced that the AIADMK government would provide a one-time payment of Rs 10,000 to all ration cardholders and increase the monthly assistance for women to Rs 2,000.
Hailing Sivaganga for its valour since ancient times and the tough sports associated with the land such as Jallikattu, Palaniswami assured Rs 10 lakh solatium to kin of bull tamer, in case a tamer loses his life due to injuries sustained.
He also pledged Rs 5 lakh for every permitted Jallikattu event and an insurance scheme for the players where the government would pay the premium.
Terming the current administration a “failure model”, Palaniswami urged the voters to rescue Tamil Nadu from the DMK.
The rally was attended by senior party functionaries and representatives from alliance partners, including the AMMK and BJP. PTI VGN JR VGN KH
Category: Breaking News
SEO Tags: #swadesi, #News, AIADMK chief Palaniswami slams CM Stalin for calling him ‘Sanghi’