Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS), General Secretary of the AIADMK, accused the Tamil Nadu government led by DMK of showing bias in dispensing justice, saying the ruling party treats the opposition and itself differently.
Speaking to the media after staging a walkout in the Tamil Nadu Assembly over the Karur stampede issue, EPS said that the AIADMK was denied permission to speak on the tragedy in the House.
EPS questioned why the government did not ensure adequate security at the Veluchamipudur rally in Karur where 41 people lost their lives due to crowd crush. He asserted that the tragedy was caused primarily by security lapses and negligence by the state government. He challenged the official accounts by pointing out discrepancies in the number of police deployed at the event, noting conflicting claims from police officials and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.The AIADMK leader also expressed suspicion over the decision to give the rally venue to Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), suggesting it was done deliberately to create unrest.
EPS criticized the hastily formed one-person commission of inquiry, calling it inadequate and alleging that the government was trying to conceal the truth.He further noted that the TVK leader had spoken for just ten minutes during the rally before an incident involving a thrown shoe happened. EPS stated that the opposition was not politicizing the Karur tragedy but speaking up for the people impacted. He questioned the ruling DMK’s apparent anxiety over discussions on the issue in the Assembly.
EPS’s remarks underline heightened tensions between the AIADMK and the DMK following the tragic stampede. The AIADMK continues to hold the government accountable for failing to provide sufficient security and for the handling of the investigation and response in the Assembly.