“Some think they are smart and have the people’s support, but go to court during elections,” Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami said on Sunday, in an apparent pot-shot at the DMK, which challenged the notification of the local body elections in the Supreme Court.
“The State has been leading in many sectors and winning awards for its achievements. While the achievements of the government are being appreciated by many, some are not willing to accept this and are creating hurdles. They think of themselves as smart and talented,” he said, speaking at the inauguration of the 46th Tamil Nadu Tourism Trade Fair at Arignar Anna Kalaiarangam.
Narrating a story in which the characters thought they were smart and did not use the axe for cutting wood, he said, “Likewise, some people did not use the axe called people support, went to court during the elections and delayed the process, and the public identifies them very well. The public also knows who enjoys their mass support (the axe), and who is really talented.”
Tourist arrivals
The Chief Minister pointed out that the State was constantly topping the charts in terms of number of tourist arrivals.
About 40 crore tourists visited the State in 2018, of whom 61 lakh were foreigners, he said.
Mr. Palaniswami pointed out that the State government, along with the Centre, will undertake various projects to improve the tourism infrastructure in the State, besides taking up new initiatives.
He also thanked people for their support in implementing the ban on single use plastic.
Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam said the tourism sector in the State was among the key contributors to revenue and job creation. Minister for Tourism Vellamandi N. Natarajan said that 8.52 lakh people visited the fair last year. The State expects 15 lakh visitors for the trade fair this time.
