The General Secretary of the AIADMK, O. Panneerselvam (EPS), has sharply criticized the DMK-led government for its alleged inefficiency and broken promises, responding to accusations from the ruling party that he is merely playing a “kabaddi game” with his comments. EPS’s statement comes amid a rising tide of discontent among various groups, including government employees, teachers, and healthcare workers, who claim that their demands have been ignored by the state government.
In his response, issued in a statement, EPS pointed to the last 42 months of the DMK administration, stating that people from all sectorsāgovernment employees, teachers, and workers from various departmentsāare suffering due to the government’s failure to fulfill their promises. He mentioned that their grievances have been publicly voiced due to the lack of action from the state government.
He further explained that when questioned by the media at the Trichy airport on November 10, he responded by pointing out that, during the DMK government’s tenure, issues faced by government employees and workers in sectors like education, electricity, transport, and cooperatives had remained unresolved. EPS added that these frustrations were expressed publicly by these groups, reflecting their dissatisfaction with the government’s inability to act.
EPS also accused the DMK of issuing a seven-page press release in retaliation to his comments, but without any signatures or proper authorship. He claimed that the release was sent by a company called “P.I.N.,” led by the family member of a prominent leader. According to EPS, the DMK had deliberately spread misinformation to deflect attention from the truth.
In his statement, EPS ridiculed the DMK government for acting like it holds a PhD in “kabaddi,” pointing out that they were playing games with the truth instead of addressing the core issues. He stressed that, unlike the current administration, his government had never resorted to such political games.
EPS also referred to the promises made by the DMK during the 2021 elections, where they assured government employees and teachers that their issues would be resolved if they voted for the party. However, after coming to power, the DMK has failed to deliver on these promises, and EPS asserted that it is the government’s inability to act that is being exposed by the people, especially public sector workers.
Referring to the election promises, EPS highlighted that the DMK had made over 520 commitments during the 2021 election campaign. However, he accused the DMK of deceiving the people by falsely claiming to have fulfilled 90% of these promises. EPS reminded the public that under both the Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK government and his leadership, the party had never misled the people.
In a direct critique of Chief Minister M. K. Stalin’s leadership, EPS pointed out that the DMK administration has failed to deliver anything significant during its 42-month tenure. He pointed out that the DMK often refers to the work done under the late M. Karunanidhi’s government, but it has not presented any tangible achievements under Stalin’s rule.
Further, EPS labeled the DMK as a “shadow government” that, instead of acknowledging its flaws, uses dishonest tactics to defend its failure to fulfill promises. He expressed his belief that the DMK’s failure to act would eventually lead to a backlash from the people, who would hold them accountable in the next election.
In his statement, EPS also outlined several specific unfulfilled promises made by the DMK, adding weight to his criticism of the party’s handling of governance. He concluded by stating that the people, realizing the truth, would deliver a decisive response to the DMK in the future.