Edappadi Palaniswami questions T.N. CM Stalin’s ‘restlessness’ over Senthilbalaji’s arrest

When DMK leaders A. Raja and K. Kanimozhi were arrested and lodged at Tihar Jail in New Delhi in the 2G case, Mr. Stalin did not even visit them. But he called on Mr. Senthilbalaji immediately after he was arrested, says AIADMK general secretary

Edappadi K. Palaniswami. File | Photo Credit: R. Ragu

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Friday, June 16, 2023 questioned Chief Minister M.K. Stalin why he was “restless” over the arrest of Minister V. Senthilbalaji in a money laundering case.

In his video response to the Chief Minister’s observations, he said that when DMK leaders A. Raja and K. Kanimozhi were arrested and lodged at Tihar Jail in New Delhi in the 2G spectrum allocation case, Mr. Stalin did not even visit them despite Ms. Kanimozhi being his half-sister. But, he visited Mr. Senthilbalaji immediately after he was arrested. 

“Instead of saying something to confuse people, the Chief Minister and his Minister should boldly face the case filed by the Enforcement Directorate and prove in court the innocence of the accused, just as we do,” Mr. Palaniswami said, adding that Mr. Stalin did not make any comment when income tax officials were attacked last month by those considered supporters of the Minister during their searches on the premises of the Minister’s brother.

Cautioning Mr. Stalin not to “tease” the AIADMK anymore, Mr. Palaniswami referred to the Chief Minister’s description of the AIADMK being a “slave” of the BJP and recalled that the DMK struck an alliance with the BJP in 1999 and was part of the coalition government at the Centre. 

“Members of the AIADMK, be they functionaries or workers or former Ministers, are not slaves of any party. They stand on their own. They fight for the rights of people and Tamil Nadu. It is the goal of the AIADMK to fulfil the aspirations of the people,” he said. The attempts of those who tried to destroy his organisation would only fail, he added.  Criticising the Chief Minister for his functioning in the last two years, Mr. Palaniswami alleged that there was no review of the working of any department.

State-wide protest on June 21

In a separate statement, Mr. Palaniswami announced the AIADMK’s protest in all district headquarters on June 21 to demand the dismissal of Mr. Senthilbalaji from the Cabinet and to highlight the failure of the DMK government in containing inflation and irregularities, and the “deterioration” in law and order. 

Published - June 16, 2023 04:29 pm IST