AIADMK co-coordinator and Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday reiterated that any attempt to destroy the ruling party will not succeed.
“The AIADMK has a history of having weathered several storms and threats in the past and those who had predicted its end have lost their political identity,” he said at the MGR birth centenary public meeting organised here.
In a veiled attack against the party’s sidelined leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran, Mr. Palaniswami said that “some people have been making statements that they would pull down the AIADMK government. The AIADMK is not a weak party like a mushroom but a strong banyan that has been ably supported by over 1.5 crore cadre,” he said.
Claiming that the party had grown in strength since its inception through the sacrifices of numerous cadre, Mr. Palaniswami said such sacrifices continued till now.
“People in the past had commented on the AIADMK as a 100-day party like the movies of MGR. However, those people have lost their political identity now. Those people who are making such statements now will face the same fate,” he said.
They made the same prediction after the death of MGR. But they were proved wrong. Former Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, said that the party would be there to see another century.
“Her prediction will never fail and calculations of rivals will never win,” Mr. Palaniswami said.
Jayalalithaa led the party with a new vigour to uplift the poor and provided a golden rule to Tamil Nadu without giving any rooms for separatism and terrorism and boldly faced droughts, cyclone and floods, he said.
Narrating a tale, the Chief Minister indicated that 18 disqualified MLAs who had backed Mr. Dhinakaran wanted to come back to the AIADMK, but were not being allowed to return.
Dengue issue
Mr. Palaniswami took exception to DMK working president, M.K. Stalin describing the government as ‘dengue government’. Dengue is a seasonal fever and it repeats during rainy season. The government was taking all out efforts to contain it, he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Chief Minister, O. Pannerselvam, said that the AIADMK had been working for the development of the poor and downtrodden. But, some are trying to create confusion and capture power in the State.
Responding to the requests made by the elected representatives of the district, Mr. Palaniswami announced that Sivakasi special grade municipality will be upgraded as a Corporation by including the Tiruthangal municipality and nine village panchayats. He also said a new taluk with Watrap as headquarters would be formed soon.
Assembly Speaker, P. Dhanapal, Minister for Dairy Development, K.T. Rajenthra Bhalaji, showered encomiums on MGR and his rule.
The Chief Minister inaugurated 146 works at a cost of ₹48.81 crore and laid foundation stone for six projects at a cost of ₹13.38 crore.
He gave away welfare benefits to the tune of Rs. 54.67 crore to 21,733 beneficiaries.
