CM Stalin hits out at EPS for spreading lies, dares him to question union govt

COIMBATORE: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday hit out at AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami of spreading lies unable to tolerate the popularity of DMK government among people for its successful implementation of schemes in Tamil Nadu.

“Even now, Palaniswami and the AIADMK MPs in Rajya Sabha do not have the guts to raise a single question against the union government for snatching away the rights of the state government. You (Palaniswami) shout at us, but do you have the guts to speak against the union government even in a low voice? What is the reason for your fear?” he said, after participating in a function to inaugurate new projects and distribute welfare assistance in Erode.

Taking a further dig, Stalin said the AIADMK has been involved in false campaigns and spreading lies on a day-to-day basis.

“The DMK government functions by overcoming all hurdles by the non-supportive union government. There is nothing wrong with an opposition party criticizing the ruling party. But lies shouldn’t be spread out just because there is nothing to find fault with the DMK government, “he said.

Claiming that the state government handled the recent Fenjal cyclone effectively by taking preventive measures and the government machinery worked day and night to bring normalcy soon in the most affected Villupuram district, Stalin said the state government carried out all relief works without waiting for funds from the union government.

Dismissing allegations that the Sathanur dam was opened without issuing an alert, Stalin said major life loss was averted only because flood alerts were sounded five times to villages along the river banks.

“On the other hand, it was during the AIADMK rule, that the Chembarambakkam lake was opened without a warning leading to the death of over 200 persons and the inundation of 23 lakh houses in Chennai.

It was a man-made disaster, which has also been cited in the CAG report,” he said.

On the tungsten mining issue, Stalin criticized Palaniswami, saying rather than condemning the union government for issuing tenders, he blamed our government, which passed a resolution against the project in assembly, even before the opposition parties raised the issue. “Only then, it came to our notice that the AIADMK MPs had voted in support of the amended law in parliament to issue tenders for tungsten mining,” he said.

Earlier, CM Stalin inaugurated 559 projects completed at Rs 951.20 crore and laid the foundation for 222 new projects at a cost of Rs 133.66 crore and distributed welfare assistance to 50,088 beneficiaries to the tune of Rs 284.02 crore in Erode.