DMK president M.K. Stalin on Tuesday claimed that Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami has gone to Delhi to protect himself from V.K. Sasikala, aide to former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, whose release from Bengaluru prison is scheduled on January 27. [Mr Palaniswami has earlier made it clear that her release would have no bearing on the AIADMK.]
At a DMK Makkal Gram Sabha meeting at Pathirai panchayat in Namakkal, Mr. Stalin claimed, “Mr. Palaniswami has gone to Delhi and met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, not to discuss NEET or farmers’ issues but to protect himself from Sasikala, who will get released from prison on January 27. We will not need to wait for four months (until the Assembly elections) -- we will know whether this government will continue or not after January 27.”
The DMK leader charged that farmers have been protesting in Delhi braving cold weather against the contentious farm laws and all States have opposed it. But, Edappadi K. Palaniswami’s government is in favour of these laws. The Centre is not ready to find a solution to the farmers’ protests, he said.
Mr. Stalin claimed that no one could beat Minister for Local Administration S.P. Velumani and Minister for Electricity P. Thangamani in corruption. Corruption has occurred in the procurement of power from private players, in the purchase of poor quality of coal and in the purchase of spare parts for TNEB, he alleged, and accused Mr. Thangamani of lying while stating that Tamil Nadu was a power surplus State.
Women, who spoke at the event, demanded measures to construct a common effluent treatment plant for dyeing units in the area and reduce the number of TASMAC liquor shops in the place. Tamilselvi, mother of M. Motilal, a NEET aspirant who died by suicide recently, spoke at the meeting and requested Mr. Stalin to get an exemption from NEET for the State at any cost.
Responding to her, Mr. Stalin said that about 15 students have died by suicide due to the examinations and the DMK will not rest until it got the State exemption from it. He said that former Chief Ministers Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa successfully stopped NEET from being conducted in the State.
