AIADMK interim general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Friday said that the ruling DMK did not believe in voters and hence, confining them in sheds throughout the day and releasing them in the evening.
Launching his last leg of the campaign seeking support for party’s Erode (East) Assembly byelection candidate K.S. Thennarasu, he said that if DMK had believed in electors, they would not have “hidden” them.
“They lured poor people and confined them in sheds and tortured them. Despite complaining to election officials, no action was taken,” he said.
DMK leaders are threatening electors that they know to whom people will cast their votes. “Don’t believe in the lie as votes cast are not known to anyone, except the elector,” he said.
Mr. Palaniswami said during the AIADMK rule, 33 lakh persons received a monthly assistance of ₹1,000 under the old-age pension scheme while it was 18 lakh during the DMK rule. “But, they have stopped for 7.5 lakh people,” he alleged and added that once the party is back in power, they will resume the old-age pension scheme for all eligible people.
Mr. Palaniswami claimed the DMK had promised a monthly honorarium of ₹1,000 for women heads of families as they can be cheated easily and also they would not stage a protest, if they were not given the money. “If the scheme was announced for men and they were not given the honorarium, they would stage a protest,” he contended and wanted women to seek the honorarium when the Chief Minister and Ministers visit them to seek votes.
According to him, there had been a complete breakdown of law and order in the State as crimes were taking place every day. “But the Chief Minister keeps saying that no crimes were taking place,” he said and added that the byelection results should be a warning bell for DMK.
He said his party can list out various schemes implemented in the constituency and asked Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to list at least one scheme that was implemented in 22 months. He said constructing houses is a dream for people as the cost of construction materials had skyrocketed during DMK rule. “Without implementing any schemes, the DMK had borrowed ₹1.62 lakh crore in 22 months,”, he alleged.
