Tamil Nadu Law Minister S. Regupathy on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on Leader of Opposition (LoP) Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS), accusing him of avoiding criticism of the BJP-led Central Government while addressing the tungsten mining project protests. The minister labeled EPS as a “coward” for failing to mention the BJP’s involvement and alleged that he fabricated claims about police interference in the farmers’ protest.
Speaking strongly against EPS’s recent statements, Minister Regupathy said, āEPS has been accusing the State police of denying permission for the farmers’ protest against the tungsten mining project. This is a blatant lie. A real Leader of Opposition would have acknowledged that the protest was directed against the Union Government. But cowardly EPS meticulously avoided even a passing mention of the BJP regime.ā
The minister criticized EPS for his calculated silence on issues involving the BJP, suggesting that the AIADMK leader has been prioritizing political alliances over addressing Tamil Nadu’s concerns. “Palaniswami will cry foul if we call him a coward, but his actions speak louder. His bravery ends when it comes to criticizing the BJP,” he remarked.
Regupathy further alleged that EPS had failed to condemn pressing issues such as the Governor’s refusal to endorse the Tamil anthem, the Union Governmentās denial of funds for education and flood relief, and the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) directive allowing the Governor to constitute panels for appointing Vice-Chancellors.
āEPS has forgotten his responsibilities as AIADMK General Secretary and is instead behaving like a BJP leader. He has forged a secret alliance with the BJP for political gains, but the people of Tamil Nadu will not tolerate this betrayal,ā the minister added.