Erode, Apr 2:
DMK President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin launched a scathing attack on the AIADMK-BJP NDA alliance, accusing it of betraying the people on multiple fronts, including strangling MSMEs during the West Asia crisis and failing to protect traditional sectors such as weavers amid US tariffs.
Addressing a campaign rally here on Thursday, Stalin also cited the NDA’s failure to scrap NEET and the introduction of the CAA as measures against the interests of the common citizen.
Mocking the opposition’s “double engine” slogan, Stalin termed it a “dabba engine” and predicted the NDA would face defeat in the upcoming Assembly polls. He targeted AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, questioning his credibility to comment on women’s safety, which Stalin said had deteriorated during the previous AIADMK regime.
Without naming them directly, he also accused other opposition leaders, including Anbumani and Dhinakaran, of corruption.
Highlighting the achievements of the DMK government, Stalin said stringent legal measures were implemented to protect women, including fast-tracked charge sheets in over 86% of cases within 60 days and provisions for the death penalty in heinous crimes. He added that women now feel secure pursuing education and employment, and that Tamil Nadu leads the country in women job-goers, contributing to industrial growth.
Stalin emphasized the DMK’s welfare initiatives aimed at women and families, asserting that at least one member in every household benefits from government schemes focused on empowerment, social security, and economic development.
Criticizing the opposition for spreading misinformation, he said, “Development and progress under this government have upset them, but the Dravidian model of governance continues to safeguard the people’s interests.”
The rally in Erode underscores the DMK’s strategy of contrasting governance record with opposition failures, focusing on women’s safety, welfare measures, and industrial development ahead of the April 23 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.