CHENNAI: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday accused chief minister M K Stalin of forgetting Congress, an ally, and inviting a senior BJP minister to a state govt event while previously using the 'Go back Modi' slogan during election campaigns. Palaniswami accused Stalin of betraying allies for political gains at the Centre and warned that people of Tamil Nadu would teach him a fitting lesson.
Questioning CM’s statement that the event to release a commemorative coin for late chief minister M Karunanidhi was organized by Union government, Palaniswami pointed out that the invitation bore the state govt’s logo and 'Kalaignar 100', with the chief secretary extending the invitation. He said DMK should have invited Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, or party national president Mallikarjun Kharge.
“There was no place for leaders of the allies on the podium,” Palaniswami said, charging CM with “blabbering about ties with BJP out of fear”. He sought to point out how CM did not attend the Niti Aayog governing council meeting and secure adequate funds but invited BJP leaders for the event.
He alleged that DMK has a history of betraying its allies to remain in power at the Centre, as seen between 2004 and 2013. He said DMK government ran with Congress support between 2006 and 2011 but has now seemingly forgotten the national party.
On Stalin's charges that AIADMK did not conduct a condolence meeting for former AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa, Palaniswami pointed to the construction of a memorial, besides a statue on the campus of the Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education. The DMK regime has been denying access to the statue since it took charge, he said. The cases filed by the opponents against the memorial construction for Jayalalithaa on Marina were withdrawn at night when petitions were filed for site allocation for Karunanidhi. “Karunanidhi signed an order against allocating the sites on Marina for former chief ministers. We could have appealed but we are the followers of Puratchi Thalaivar (MGR) and Puratchi Thalaivi (Jayalalithaa),” Palaniswami said.