FOR Salem TAMIL NADU, 02/12/2023:
Former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami spoke among AIADMK booth committee members in Salem on Saturday.
PHOTO: Special arrangement
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami has alleged that Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M. Appavu is functioning like a DMK worker in the Assembly and is answering questions meant for Ministers.
He participated in the meeting with booth committee members at the AIADMK party office in Omalur on Saturday and later addressed the media. Responding to allegations of Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M. Appavu that middlemen from the Enforcement Directorate threatened him, Mr. Palaniswami said, “Without evidence, we can’t not comment on this issue. Everyone knows how the Speaker was functioning in the Assembly. AIADMK respects the Speaker, so we can’t not comment further.”
On the rains in Chennai, Mr. Palaniswami said that heavy rain was pouring in Chennai. The DMK government claimed they implemented storm water drain works at a cost of Rs. 4,000 crore, but Chennai could not bear one day of rain.
“The drain work were not proper which proves the DMK government is incapable of administration. Poor people are suffering in the rain. the DMK government is only an advertisement government,” he said.
Responding to the arrest of an Enforcement Directorate (ED) official for bribery, Mr. Palaniswami said there was nothing wrong with taking action against people involved in wrongdoing. On the Supreme Court directions that asked the Chief Minister and Tamil Nadu Governor to sort out the issues regarding the bills passed in the assembly, he said the Supreme Court direction was final and should be implemented.
Answering a question on BJP State president K. Annamalai’s comment that politicians in Tamil Nadu lacked maturity, Mr. Palaniswami said he (Mr. Annamalai) only could explain what maturity he has and what maturity meant.
Criticising the government for conducting a car race in Chennai, Mr. Palaniswami said the government has decided to spend Rs. 42 crore on road expansion and repair works for conducting the Formula 4 night street race. Already, there was a track for conducting races at Irungattukottai in Chennai. While not allocating funds for Amma Canteens, the government is funding car race along roads where the High Court, General Hospital, and Railway Station are situated. “This race will only be viewed by upper-class people and does not benefit poor people,” he said.
On government employees’ protest for the old pension scheme, Mr. Palaniswami said during the AIADMK regime, the DMK supported the protest of government employees and promised to fulfil their demand after coming to power. But the DMK has changed its stand now, he charged.
Ends.