It’s DMK in secret pact with BJP, replies Palaniswami

TIRUCHY: Refuting the claims of illicit alliance with the BJP, made by the DMK president and Chief Minister MK Stalin, the AIADMK General Secretary and Leader of Opposition Party Edappadi K Palaniswami in Thoothukudi on Tuesday slammed that it is the opportunist DMK that is having an illicit alliance with both the Congress and the BJP, in the meanwhile, to enjoy power.

Campaigning for R Sivasami Velumani, the AIADMK candidate for Thoothukudi, Edappadi K Palaniswami shot back at the Chief Minister for levelling charges against the party and said that the DMK was having a secret alliance with the BJP. On stage, he displayed a few photographs of MK Stalin and minister Udayanidhi Stalin with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in all smiles and said that DMK had enjoyed full five years with the BJP’s support earlier and aligned with the Congress in the following election and enjoyed another five years. “Who is in an illicit alliance? If we (AIADMK) were flexible enough, we could have made a tie-up with the BJP. People’s welfare was the top priority for the party, so we kept ourselves away from the BJP,” EPS said. Unlike DMK we aren’t crazy for power, EPS added.

When in the opposition you sent up black balloons opposing the arrival of Modi in Tamil Nadu and raised slogans like “Go Back Modi” but once coming to power, you held a black umbrella and said ‘Welcome Modi,’ EPS took a jibe at the CM. “Who is having an illicit alliance? Tell me,” EPS asked again.

Referring to the comments of Udhayanidhi Stalin EPS said the sports minister was showing his teeth to the Prime Minister while he was showing the brick elsewhere and questioned whether it’s a sin to laugh, hitting back at comments launched against him. “When Modi was laying the foundation stone for AIIMS in Madurai, I was with him and it was natural to smile. But both Stalin and Udayanidhi used to give heroic verses against Modi to attract people but in reality, they are cowards”, he said.

EPS listed out the achievements including unveiling the portraits of VOC and Omanthoorar in the assembly. Declaring birth anniversary celebrations of Aditanar and Sivanthi Aditanar as a government festival and steps initiated for the expansion of Thoothukudi port.