Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
AIADMK general secretary and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) on Tuesday challenged his long-time opponent, the DMK, to join hands with his party and stitch together an alliance against Vijay’s TVK.
Speaking to journalists in Chennai, EPS was asked whether an anti-TVK alliance was being formed. He replied, “Yes. We are also against TVK. If any other party wants to join, we welcome them. Our alliance is just as it is. If other parties come, they can join.”
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“But if new parties come and join with us, they can join. Will DMK… will DMK come? Can you ask this question?” he asked the reporter.
Overtures for a TVK-AIADMK alliance have been lingering for a while, ever since the Assembly results earlier this year, which also led to the long-term allies DMK and Congress splitting, with the latter joining Vijay to form the government in the state. Not everything has been hunky-dory with the AIADMK either, with six of its MLAs joining Vijay’s party and the rest being divided into two factions.
In June, DMK organising secretary RS Bharathi dismissed any talks between the AIADMK and his party about an alliance, while maintaining that there would be nothing wrong with the two parties joining hands in the future.
EPS further accused the Vijay government of failing to deal with corruption, inflation, law and order, drug abuse and the problems faced by farmers in Tamil Nadu, according to ANI. He said the Chief Minister was not directly answering questions raised by the Opposition in the Assembly.
His remarks came amid fresh disruption in the Assembly, where the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam staged a sit-in outside the Speaker’s chamber over comments made by Vijay during Monday’s proceedings. The protest affected business in the House, following which the Speaker asked marshals to remove DMK legislators.
Speaking to reporters, Palaniswami said several important issues had not been addressed in the Assembly. He criticised Vijay’s handling of House proceedings, the state of affairs in Tamil Nadu and what he described as the government’s failure to focus on the concerns of the public.
He alleged that corruption had risen sharply under the present administration and claimed there had been a major scam involving FQL funds, in which lakhs of people had lost money to a private company. He questioned why action had not been taken against those accused in the case. “Corruption has increased multifold under the TVK government,” he said.
“There has been a massive scam in the FQL funds, and lakhs of people have lost their money to a private company, but there is no action from the government against the accused. The ruling party — TVK — is spending the most on unnecessary things and talking about what happened in the past in the Assembly. It is wrong on the part of CM Vijay to say he can’t control the drug culture in the state, stating that it was happening even before he came to power,” Palaniswami further said, as reported ANI.
He also slammed Vijay over what he called a worsening law-and-order situation in the state. Palaniswami said that although the Chief Minister had spoken about the police department, he had not made any announcements for police personnel. He also objected to another minister replying in the Assembly on Urban Administration, which he said comes under the Chief Minister.
“Though the CM holds Urban Administration under him, he was supposed to speak on it in the Assembly, but another minister spoke on his behalf in the Assembly today. It’s not right,” he said.
According to Palaniswami, the ruling TVK was spending heavily on unnecessary matters and discussing the past in the Assembly instead of addressing the issues affecting the people of Tamil Nadu.
The confrontation in the House followed heated exchanges on Monday, when the DMK walked out after Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin was not immediately allowed to respond to allegations made by Vijay against the previous DMK government. During his speech, Vijay referred to Enforcement Directorate material, the Sarkaria Commission and alleged irregularities and corruption during earlier DMK regimes.
The DMK rejected those charges and questioned the basis of the claims, while Palaniswami continued to target the Vijay government over corruption, inflation, law and order, drug abuse and farmers’ issues. The developments extended a tense political confrontation inside the Assembly over both the current government’s record and allegations linked to previous DMK administrations.
– Ends
Inputs from ANI
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
