Salem, July 13:
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Sunday alleged that the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government in Tamil Nadu is unstable and could collapse at any time, claiming it is surviving on borrowed political support.
Addressing a meeting of party functionaries in Salem, Palaniswami said the government continues in office only with the backing of alliance partners drawn from rival parties. He warned that such support could be withdrawn at any moment, leading to the fall of the government. “They can withdraw their support at any time, and if that happens, the government will fall,” he said.
Taking a swipe at Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, Palaniswami criticised his recent remarks in Karur where he allegedly described both the DMK and the AIADMK as corrupt. The AIADMK leader countered that it was the TVK that was attempting to poach MLAs elected under the party’s ‘two leaves’ symbol.
Palaniswami further claimed that the TVK came to power by leveraging social media campaigns and Vijay’s popularity as a film actor rather than through grassroots public service. He also accused the Chief Minister of continuing to deliver “film-style dialogues” even after assuming office.
Raising concerns over law and order, Palaniswami alleged that incidents of murder, robbery and narcotics-related crimes had increased under the TVK regime. He said the ruling party was now struggling to fulfil its election promises due to financial constraints, as it had not anticipated forming the government.
Expressing confidence in his party’s future, Palaniswami said the AIADMK would secure a decisive victory in the upcoming local body elections and subsequent polls. He also issued a stern warning to party functionaries who had defected to the TVK, stating that they would have to begin their political careers from scratch if they wished to return.
“Those who left the AIADMK and joined the TVK know their present situation. Anyone who returns will have to start from zero,” he said.
Referring to the Supreme Court-monitored CBI investigation into the Karur stampede, Palaniswami alleged that the Union government had remained a silent spectator without taking concrete action.