Municipal Administration Minister K.N. Nehru has criticized AIADMK General Secretary and Opposition Leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami, accusing him of indulging in “petty politics for trivial reasons.” Nehru’s remarks were made in response to a statement by Palaniswami regarding the government’s response to recent rains.
In his statement, Palaniswami criticized Chief Minister M.K. Stalin for conducting meetings in Chennai while, according to him, the state was grappling with the impact of heavy rains. Responding to this, Minister Nehru pointed out that the Chief Minister had, in fact, held a precautionary meeting on October 30 to discuss monsoon preparedness. During this meeting, the CM directed district administrations to develop action plans to prevent loss of life and minimize damage. Nehru added that these initiatives were widely reported in the media, but Palaniswami seemed to be unaware of them.
Nehru emphasized that due to the Chief Minister’s proactive measures, districts like Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Pudukottai, Salem, and Madurai, despite receiving heavy rainfall, experienced minimal damage, ensuring the safety of residents.
Taking a jab at Palaniswami, Nehru remarked, “It seems the Opposition leader is waiting for disasters to happen just so he can get some publicity.” He also referenced a time during the AIADMK regime when relief materials distributed during calamities bore stickers of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, accusing Palaniswami of seeking self-promotion during disaster relief efforts.