The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s Member of Legislative Assembly S. Madheshwaran on Sunday created a flutter when he openly complained in the presence of Highways and Minor Ports Minister Edappadi K. Palanisamy that he was not consulted by the authorities before holding an event in Attur, his constituency.
He made this complaint at a function organised at the Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Attur.
“They (Minister and officials) are neglecting me because I am from a Scheduled Caste community. Officials say that the Minister is the reason for neglecting me,” he alleged.
He wanted an explanation from the Minister on this matter. Efforts made by District Revenue Officer S. Selvaraj and Chief Education Officer R. Eswaran to pacify the MLA were in vain.
Responding to the complaint, the Minister, in his address, said that he had been an MLA, MP and occupied other positions before he became a Minister.
“I had undergone a lot of pain and struggle in public life but I have not complained [just as Mr. Madheshwaran did]. In all these years, I have learnt that respect is to be given to ‘Amma’ alone,” he said, calling upon the dignitaries of the function to refrain themselves from making certain observations that would have an adverse bearing on school students.
This was the second incident in which an MLA of the ruling AIADMK is making an allegation on the stage regarding “sidelining” of elected representatives.
Less than a month ago, the newly elected MLA of Yercaud P. Saroja made a similar complaint that elected representatives were being sidelined, while holding government events.
