Madurai, Sept 28:
Law Minister R. Nirmalkumar on Sunday criticised Leader of the Opposition and DMK youth wing chief Udhayanidhi Stalin over his remarks concerning Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and the TVK government’s proposal to construct a new Secretariat at Pattinapakkam.
Speaking to reporters after participating in a community valaikappu ceremony organised by the district administration for pregnant women, Nirmalkumar accused Udhayanidhi of speaking without restraint. He said the remarks reflected what was in the DMK leader’s mind and argued that people holding public positions had a responsibility to exercise restraint while making public statements.
The Minister was referring to a remark by Udhayanidhi that involved the word “mood” while criticising Vijay’s choice of a sea-facing location for the proposed Secretariat. Nirmalkumar described the remark as having a double meaning and questioned whether such language was appropriate for a political leader.
Nirmalkumar also referred to the wider political debate surrounding the Karunanidhi family and said members of the family had been making statements of this nature for three generations. He further questioned whether Udhayanidhi would make similar remarks in the presence of women and children in his own family.
The Minister went on to call for Udhayanidhi’s withdrawal from public life and questioned whether the DMK had a political future under his leadership. He also described Udhayanidhi as a political novice and urged DMK cadres to introspect over the direction of the party.
Nirmalkumar also targeted AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, accusing him of extending political support to the DMK. He alleged that Palaniswami’s political course would ultimately harm the AIADMK, while the Opposition has maintained its own criticism of the TVK government.
Moving away from the political exchange, Nirmalkumar said the government was committed to ensuring that government offices functioned without corruption. He said Chief Minister Vijay had instructed people not to pay bribes if government officials demanded them and appealed to the public to lodge complaints in such cases.
The Minister said appropriate action would be taken whenever information about demands for bribes reached the authorities. His remarks came amid the continuing political confrontation between the ruling TVK and the Opposition over the proposed Secretariat, governance issues and the conduct of political leaders.