MGR centenary fete: Tamil Nadu CM takes a dig at MK Stalin

Tirunelveli: Taking a dig at the DMK's working president, M K Stalin, the Chief Minister, Edappadi K. Palaniswamy said the opposition leader should at least now start working for the welfare of the people rather than finding fault with the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. He was speaking at the former Chief Minister and AIADMK founder MGR's birth centenary celebrations here on Sunday. 

In an attacking speech, Mr. Palaniswami asserted they would not let "any family" capture power in the State that went against the welfare of the people. The remark was directed at Ms. V K Sasikala and the DMK 'parivars', seen as being bogged down by family rule.

Reacting to the DMK working president, M.K. Stalin’s recent criticism that the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister were functioning as double-barrel gun in making money, Palaniswami said that Stalin’s criticism about him and his cabinet colleague, O. Panneerselvam clearly showed the frustration of the DMK working president, who for anything and everything demanded the dissolution of the AIADMK government.  

“Having been in great frustration as his chance of becoming Chief Minister of the state remains an elusive fantasy, Stalin even forgets that an elected government enjoying people’s support and comfortable majority in the legislative assembly cannot be dissolved constitutionally,” he said.

The DMK leader in fit of rage against the AIADMK too has failed to understand the people’s wrath against him and his father, whose rule till 2011 had ruined the state, criticised Palaniswami, adding that his government has been successfully implementing all the welfare schemes of MGR and ‘Amma’. Advising his party cadre to be cautious and work united, Palaniswami also declared that neither he nor any of his party colleague assumed themselves as heads of the party.
“We are always the grass-root workers and ‘Puratchi Thalaivar’ MGR and ‘Puratchi Thalaivi Amma’ are our only leaders,” he declared.

Deputy Chief Minister, O. Pannerselvam in his presidential address denied the general accusation that the ruling party has surrendered before the Central government, pledging the welfare of the state. He said the state government had accepted Central government’s schemes like GST as they readily accepted to incorporate the amendments suggested by the former Chief Minister, J Jayalalithaa. “Having been religiously following the foot prints of ‘Amma’, the welfare of the people are of paramount importance to our government,” clarified Pannerselvam.

The AIADMK would never go against the Dravidian movement ideals, declared M. Thambidurai, Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker in his address here.

Palaniswami also launched an app, “Talking temples of Tirunelveli” to enhance spiritual tourism in Tirunelveli district. He also inaugurated completed schemes to the tune of around Rs 118 crore in the district and laid foundation stones for 142 more schemes at a total estimated cost of Rs 528.92 crore. Further, welfare measures to the tune of Rs 87.74 crore were distributed to around 34,655 beneficiaries in Tirunelveli district.