The DMK is unable to digest the rousing welcome being accorded by the public to the ‘Pongal gift’ announcement made by the government and is making baseless allegations against the AIADMK to divert people’s attention, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami said on Tuesday.
Reacting to the “corruption list” submitted by DMK president M.K. Stalin to Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Mr. Palaniswami told reporters here that the Opposition party could not prove in the courts the earlier corruption charges it had levelled against the AIADMK government. After the courts rejected the DMK’s charges, the Opposition party had submitted a list to the Governor, he said.
While almost all the former Ministers of the DMK were facing several corruption charges, the party chief was making false allegations against the AIADMK. Justifying the government’s decision to give ₹2,500 as Pongal gift to the ration card holders, Mr. Palaniswami said the decision to enliven the poor families during the festival was taken based on the recommendations of the Rangarajan Committee.
The Chief Minister said there was no foul play in awarding road/bridges contracts to a company reportedly owned by his relatives. “After submitting the online tenders, the company has become the successful bidder and paid online the Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) or gave bank guarantee. Every aspect of this tendering system is put in place in transparent manner. I have no role in this connection and even did not know if my relative was bidding to bag the tender,” he said.
The CM also listed the “inflated contracts” awarded during the DMK regime for laying roads between Arcot and Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam to Ramanathapuram and Ramanathapuram to Thoothukudi. He said the State had attracted industrial investments to the extent of ₹60,000 crore even during the pandemic, thanks to investor-friendly policies.
Ridiculing the DMK’s target of winning 200 Assembly constituencies in the ensuing poll, Mr. Palaniswami said they could even fix the target of winning 300 segments. “But the people, who have witnessed the DMK’s corrupt and authoritarian administration, will never support them since they are working for their people (families) and not for the people of Tamil Nadu,” he said.
After Karunanidhi, Mr. Stalin had become the DMK president and was dreaming of becoming the Chief Minister. After Stalin, his son Udhayanidhi would be the DMK chief and would dream of becoming the Chief Minister with the support of his father, he said. “But the people of Tamil Nadu hate the DMK’s dynastic politics and hence will never support the DMK,” he added.
While asserting that the people landing at Chennai airport were being screened and quarantined even as the COVID-19 variant threat was looming large, the Chief Minister appealed to the public to wear masks compulsorily. “This is the only effective way available before us now to protect ourselves from the viral infection,” he said.
On reaching KTC Nagar in Palayamkottai, Mr. Palaniswami, who was on his way to Arumanai near Nagercoil to participate in the Christmas celebrations, boarded an open jeep and addressed the party cadre.
