AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami.
Credit: PTI Photo
Cuddalore (Tamil Nadu): AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday extended an open invitation to Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi and the Left parties, who are the allies of the ruling DMK to join the NDA-alliance led by his party in Tamil Nadu.
Addressing a public meeting at Chidambaram near here, he said allies of the ruling DMK do not question the government over several issues, including the deterioration of law and order situation.
Palaniswami addressed the people from a vehicle as part of the AIADMK's 'Puratchi Tamilarin Eluchi Payanam' (Revolutionary Tamil leader's journey).
The leader of opposition alleged that Chief Minister M K Stalin caused a hindrance to the DMK's allies themselves, the VCK and Left parties. Permission was not granted by authorities for events of the VCK and Left parties, he alleged.
When the VCK wanted to install a party flagpole, it was prevented.
"Should you continue in that alliance after such insults? please think it over," he said. However, as regards the AIADMK, "we give a red-carpet reception to parties joining the AIADMK alliance." Also, Palaniswami said the AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Tamil Nadu is stable, and no attempts to create divisions among its constituents—including the BJP—will succeed.
Additionally, he stated that his decisions would be final regarding the alliance.
In his address in another area in Cuddalore district, Palaniswami blamed the DMK regime over conducting a caste census.
He said he had announced, in the year 2020, a commission to collect caste-wise data during the AIADMK regime and preliminary works was also initiated.
However, after the DMK assumed power in 2021, CM Stalin stated that the state government does not have powers to conduct caste based enumeration.
It only showed that the DMK regime was not concerned about the people. Further, Stalin said only the Centre could conduct caste census and, "we appealed to the Centre to conduct caste census and the union government announced caste census across the country," he said.