In a scathing critique, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami accused Chief Minister MK Stalin of becoming inaccessible not only to the people of the state but also to his own MLAs and ministers. Speaking at the inauguration of the Kongu Multipurpose Training Institute in Harur, Dharmapuri district, Palaniswami slammed Stalin for falling short on promises made during the run-up to the Assembly polls.
Palaniswami recalled how, before the elections, Stalin had symbolically received petitions from the public in a box, promising swift resolutions upon assuming power. However, according to Palaniswami, it appears that the key to open this metaphorical petition box is now lost. Despite Stalin’s assurance that anyone with unresolved issues could meet him directly, the reality, as per Palaniswami, is that even MLAs and ministers find it challenging to secure an audience with the Chief Minister.
The AIADMK leader didn’t shy away from criticising the DMK government’s failure to fulfill key promises, particularly regarding the much-debated National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for medical aspirants. Palaniswami targeted Udhayanidhi Stalin, the current Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development, for his pre-election claims that he possessed the solution to scrap NEET.
Palaniswami highlighted the irony of the situation, noting that two years and eight months into the DMK government’s term, NEET remains in effect. He went on to allege that the promises made by Udhayanidhi Stalin were nothing more than rhetoric, pointing to a disturbing incident where thousands of signatures against NEET were purportedly found discarded in a garbage bin at a recent youth wing conference in Salem.