DMK president M.K. Stalin on Saturday said Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami had announced a revolving fund for the medical education of State government students under the 7.5% quota only because of the Opposition’s role.
Thanking the Chief Minister for the decision, he denied indulging in politics on the issue, as was alleged by Mr. Palaniswami. “The Chief Minister was forced to make the announcement only because the Opposition did politics,” Mr. Stalin told DMK cadres in Salem during a videoconference.
He said Mr. Palaniswami, though born into an agricultural family, never took up farming or was dependent on farming for a living. Hence, the Chief Minister had supported the three farm Acts enacted by the Central government.
Mr. Stalin added that no one would be happier than him if a true farmer became the Chief Minister of the State.
Listing various projects announced and implemented during the DMK regime in Salem, Mr. Stalin said the Chief Minister had deliberately sabotaged the progress of these projects since they were announced during the erstwhile DMK government. Mr. Stalin alleged that the Government Botanical Garden, started during DMK regime, was covered in bushes and the Salem Super Speciality Government Hospital had become an ordinary hospital and there were reports of a “rat infestation” there.
Mr. Stalin said he assumed that the Chief Minister would have turned Salem into a model city through his frequent visits, but he was only making empty promises.
The DMK leader said stern action would be taken on the irregularities in the Kudimaramathu scheme once his party came to power.
He alleged that the production at the Mettur thermal plant had been reduced so that the government could procure power at high prices from private players. Mr. Stalin said Mr. Palaniswami had not interacted with the farmers who opposed the green corridor project even once.
On the Chief Minister’s charge that he had not offered constructive feedback, Mr. Stalin said he did not feel bad for being called a “statement hero” by the Chief Minister. It was only after he made statements that the government increased testing for COVID-19, decided to cancel Class 10 examinations and provided cash relief to people affected by the lockdown, he added.
Mr. Stalin said the Chief Minister cannot stop the victory of the DMK irrespective of what he does.
