AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami
| Photo Credit: File photo
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Sunday said the country’s debts increased under the BJP rule, and that the national party’s State president K. Annamalai had done nothing for Tamil Nadu.
At a meeting of the AIADMK’s lawyer-wing functionaries in Omalur, he told reporters that when the BJP came to power in 2014, the country’s debt was ₹55 lakh crore. However, it has increased to ₹168 lakh crore now. “What schemes did the Union government bring in for the debt to have increased to this extent?”
Responding to Mr. Annamalai’s charge that the AIADMK government was “corrupt”, he asked why then did the BJP align with his party, and sought its support to pass Bills in Parliament. “The AIADMK delivered the best governance despite facing challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. In one year, it established 11 medical colleges in the State. It achieved the target set by the Union government for Higher Education by 2030, in 2019 itself. Many departments got national awards during the AIADMK regime…,” he pointed out.
He further asked, “In 2019, the foundation stone for an AIIMS in Madurai was laid, but the work was yet to begin. This was a Union government scheme. Why did the BJP’s State leaders not secure funds from the Centre to expedite the project?”
Mr. Palaniswami also hit out at the DMK for not inviting Congress leaders for the release of the ₹100 commemorative coin to mark the birth centenary of former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. The DMK released the coin through Union Minister Rajnath Singh for shielding itself from corruption charges. When the AIADMK raised this issue, both the DMK and BJP criticised the AIADMK, he pointed out.
Responding to a question on why Mr Rajnath Singh praised Karunanidhi, Mr. Palaniswami said that actor Rajinikanth recently stated that Mr. Singh praised the late DMK leader due to orders from the party high command. He accused the DMK and BJP of staging a drama, noting their close but indirect relationship “while acting as enemies” in public.
On behalf of the AIADMK, Mr. Palaniswami said corruption charges against the DMK government were submitted to the Governor three times, but no action was taken. He added that the BJP secured “four MPs in 1998” (the party had actually won in three seats) and now has four MLAs due to its alliance with the AIADMK.
To a query about actor Vijay’s party praising former Chief Ministers M.G. Ramachandran and C.N. Annadurai, Mr. Palaniswami said he was happy that other parties acknowledged the AIADMK leader. “That is why no one can destroy the AIADMK. A decision on an alliance with Mr. Vijay’s party will be taken during the [2026] election,” he said.
