DMK’s plan to split AIADMK successfully shattered: Palaniswami

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday claimed that the DMK hatched a plan to split his party, but it was successfully negated. Addressing a poll campaign in his native Salem district on the concluding day of campaigning for the Assembly polls scheduled on Thursday, he also questioned the ruling DMK on the investment scenario.

The AIADMK chief charged DMK president MK Stalin with trying to “break” the AIADMK earlier. “When I was chief minister (2016-21), I faced many issues. Stalin hatched a plan to break our party, but we shattered that plan into pieces”, he said.

Reiterating that this Assembly election is a contest between a “single family” that survives by “exploiting” Tamil Nadu and the people of the State, the Leader of the Opposition said, “people would put an end to this dynastic rule and hereditary politics”. Pointing out that Stalin’s repeated assertion of the DMK-led alliance having all 39 MPs the State has, Palaniswami said the MPs did not put pressure on the Centre for executing several projects, including the AIADMK proposed defence equipment facility here, which would have generated jobs for more than 3,000 persons.

Recalling Chief Minister Stalin’s claim that under the DMK regime, 1,179 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed and industrial investments totalling Rs 15 lakh crore were attracted, creating 35 lakh jobs, Palaniswami said, “If that was truly the case, then 35 lakh people should have secured jobs. This (claim) is a complete fabrication”. The former chief minister asserted that it will take four years to complete the construction of large-scale factories.

“Once an MoU has been signed, land acquisition must take place. After the factory acquires the land, the State Government must obtain clearance from the Central Government”, he said, adding “the financial resources must be mobilised”.

Stating that no one establishes a factory using their own capital entirely, he said one must approach banks to secure loans. Only after the construction of the buildings takes place will the factory finally become operational, and the entire process takes four years.” Stalin is well aware of this, and he is deliberately spreading false information,” he alleged.

Palaniswami said that he had requested a “white paper” in the Assembly with regard to the investments.

“Instead, the minister concerned showed me a blank sheet of paper. By displaying that blank paper, he effectively demonstrated that absolutely nothing had been done”, he added.

Promising that the AIADMK, if voted to power, will strive for the development of all 234 constituencies, Palaniswami said, “The BJP, a constituent of our alliance, is currently in power at the Centre and we will implement all the schemes that the people desire”.

“The DMK claims to have a powerful alliance. That is not the truth. It is the very same alliance that existed previously, and only one additional party (DMDK) has joined it”, he said.