DMK president M.K. Stalin on Friday asked how Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami could stop an elected MP from the DMK from taking part in a review meeting on COVID-19, and termed his conduct anti-democratic and shameful.
Mr. Stalin condemned the AIADMK government for not inviting the MPs and MLAs of the principal opposition party for government events.
“Yesterday (on Thursday), when the Dharmapuri MP Dr. Senthilkumar wanted to take part in the COVID-19 review meeting, they refused to allow him inside. The Chief Minister also asked how he could allow an MP to be a part of a review meeting chaired by him,” Mr. Stalin said.
Despite being the Chief Minister for the past three years, Mr. Palaniswami had not learnt about the basics of democracy and administration, he said.
“In Vellore and Kallakurichi districts too DMK MLAs and MPs have been treated in such a manner. We are not asking permission to take part in the AIADMK’s general council meeting or their public meetings. We are asking to take part in review meetings for COVID-19 that are being held at government cost,” he said, adding that this was a basic right of elected representatives.
Mr. Stalin said not inviting DMK MPs and MLAs for government events even by the Chief Minister was not a good measure of governance and asked Mr. Palaniswami to invite them to such meetings and take proper decisions on people’s issues raised by them.
Separately in a tweet, Mr. Stalin condemned the Centre’s decision to lease three airports to private players. “The Center’s unilateral decision to privatise airports usurps the rights and autonomy from the State. It violates the pledge made in 2003 that any proposal concerning airport privatisation would be made only in consultation with the State government and must be revoked,” he said.
