Dairy Minister launches fierce attack on BJP for getting close to DMK

Bhalaji, on Sunday night, launched a fierce attack on the BJP for developing a bond, of late, with DMK following the death of former DMK Supremo M Karunanidhi and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

“If you (BJP) are close to us we will support you but why are you trying to befriend both of us (AIADMK and DMK). You are supporting them (DMK) through the front door and supporting us through the back door,” he said.

He further said that parties can form government in the Centre only with AIADMK’s support and they will not do it for free. “From now on parties forming government in the Centre had to give us minister postings and only then we will support them. People in the Centre want us only for our votes but do not give us any posts. The situation will not be the same from next time,” said Bhalaji.

The Minister’s Sunday speech was preceded by another controversial speech on Saturday where he said that AIADMK is not involved in submissive politics and will oppose anyone if Chief Minister, Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam asked them to do so. 

These statements of Bhalaji, who has a habit of making controversial statements, had raised yet another but a widely rumoured question that whether AIADMK is moving away from BJP-led Union government.

The recent statements of Bhalaji were in complete contradiction to his earlier stand on BJP and Modi as he was first Minister to publicly accept that Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, will save AIADMK from all problems when TTV Dhinakaran, Deputy General Secretary of Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK), revolted against the AIADMK for removing him and his aunt VK Sasikala from the party. The state government which already carried the tag of puppet government was widely criticised by media and opposition parties for the comments of Bhalaji and after that incident. 

The AIADMK is a party with a strong foundation and its MLAs will not defect to other parties for money, said Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam in Kancheepuram on Monday. “MLAs defecting to other parties for money will remain as a dream for DMK president MK Stalin and former Minister Arcot Veerasamy,” responded Panneerselvam, when asked about Veerasamy’s statement that AIADMK MLAs can be bought for Rs 100 crore. 

“AIADMK is similar to Kallanai dam and it will be there for thousands of years like the dam,” said Panneerselvam. When asked about Cauvery water getting wasted by flowing into the sea, Panneerselvam replied that Cauvery water is flowing into sea for thousands of years and it is not happening only in the AIADMK government. However, government is taking all possible steps to store Cauvery water every year. 

When asked about the collapse of Mukkombu barrage and Stalin demanding the resignation of Chief Minister, Edappadi K Palaniswami, he replied that Mukkombu barrage is 176 years old and AIADMK government is not responsible for the collapse. “Just because it collapsed during the reign of AIADMK, Chief Minister cannot take responsibility for the collapse and resign,” said Panneerselvam. When asked about TTV Dhinakaran’s statement that he was lying in public, OPS replied that he has answers for all the statements of Dhinakaran. 

“If Dhinakaran is specific on charges I will respond with appropriate answers,” he said.