AIADMK co-coordinator and Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Thursday claimed that former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s health had suffered a setback due to mental agony caused by slapping of corruption cases by the erstwhile DMK government eventually leading to her death.
Canvassing votes for M.R. Muthamizhselvan, AIADMK candidate for the Vikravandi Assembly byelection, at Thumbur near Villupuram, he said that the former DMK patriarch M. Karunanidhi and DMK president M.K. Stalin had caused mental agony to ‘ Amma ’ (Jayalalithaa) by filing the disproportionate assets case against her.
This weakened her health, which ultimately led to her death in December 2016.
Mr. Palaniswami said the then DMK government had foisted false cases on Jayalalithaa [in 1996] and this was known to everyone. The cadres of the AIADMK were now akin to a child without its mother for which the DMK was responsible, he alleged.
Mr. Palaniswami disputed the claims of Mr. Stalin that the AIADMK was responsible for bringing in the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) in Tamil Nadu and said that the exam was introduced only during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.
‘DMK brought NEET’
The DMK played second fiddle to the UPA’s plan to introduce NEET but now the party had shifted the responsibility of NEET on AIADMK, which was wrong and baseless, he said.
Mr. Palaniswami said that Mr. Stalin had no right to criticise the AIADMK. The DMK president had been “blabbering” and accusing the AIADMK without any proof or evidence.
According to him, the 38 MPs of the Secular Progressive Alliance were keeping quiet without initiating any steps for the development of the State.
The Chief Minister disputed Mr. Stalin’s claims that the AIADMK had delayed the local body polls.
The AIADMK was the first to bring in an amendment and notify the local body polls in 2016. “We have already taken steps in this direction and the newly elected members would assume office in December this year,” he said.
The caste-based census for reservation of wards was under way and this had led to delay in holding the polls but Mr. Stalin out of fear of defeat in the byelection had been indulging in disinformation and was trying to divert the people’s attention, he charged.
Mr. Palaniswami said that the DMK was not a political party but functioning like a corporate entity.
Mr. Stalin had no right to criticise the AIADMK as was being submissive to the BJP because the party had joined the Vajpayee Cabinet in 1999.
