AIADMK taunts Stalin for 'hankering for office'

Slamming DMK chief M K Stalin for "hankering for office," the ruling AIADMK flagged unity mantra at its general council meet on Sunday and spurred cadres to slog for a grand victory in the civic body polls expected soon.

The ruling party appealed to the Centre to take steps to exempt Tamil Nadu from NEET which has "several deficiencies" and is a "stumbling block" to upholding social justice and opening up opportunities to rural and economically backward students.

Pointing to the recent victory in bypolls to Vikravandi and Nanguneri Assembly segments by good margins, the AIADMK general council and executive committee meet thanked its top two leaders O Panneerselvam (Coordinator and Deputy Chief Minister), K Palaniswami (Chief Minister and Co- coordinator), all functionaries and cadres.

The ruling party also had words of praise for party workers who had won recent polls to various cooperative bodies.

Mocking at DMK chief Stalin for nursing a "hankering for office as the goal of his public life," the meet condemned the false propaganda allegedly by him and his party leaders to hide the achievements of the AIADMK government.

Asking the cadres to be vigilant and disseminate information on the good work of the government among the people, the meet vowed to slog to continue securing victories.

"Since local body elections are slated to be held soon, all should work unitedly and pay attention to poll activities and take a vow for the victory of AIADMK in local bodies across Tamil Nadu," a resolution said.

Calling arch-rival DMK as an "evil force," the AIDMK meet said the key opposition party was tired after trying to outsmart it.

The DMK tried to unseat its government after the death of late supremo J Jayalalithaa in 2016, the AIADMK alleged adding it ended in a fiasco.

Hence, the main opposition party had been indulging in a disinformation campaign against both the party and government, the ruling AIADMK alleged.

Recalling allegations faced by the DMK government in 2006-11 like graft charges, the AIADMK said these were etched in the memory of the people.

"No effort of the DMK, a selfish force will succeed against the AIADMK which has won the love of the people."

Lauding the government's efficiency that was "built," by late Jayalalithaa, the party listed out government initiatives like the Global Investors Meet and the recent foreign trip of Palaniswami to woo investments and push growth.

The meet, held after a gap of two years, though hailed the leadership of Palaniswami and Panneerselvam for several initiatives, the party continued to bet on the legacy of late Jayalalithaa by its refrain of "Amma's government."

The ruling party reiterated its commitment to ideals of State autonomy, two-language formula of Tamil and English.

The DMK had often targeted the AIADMK over its alleged "failure" to get Tamil Nadu exempted from the purview of NEET and had taunted it for being "subservient" to the Centre trampling on the principle of autonomy.

A total of 23 resolutions were adopted. The deaths of leaders including former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and party workers were condoled. The AIADMK has 350 plus executive committee and about 2000 general council members.

The venue of the meet, a marriage hall in suburban Chennai, was decked up resembling the AIADMK headquarters.

Though the party was careful to avoid banners, which were banned, it decorated the venue in a grand fashion.

Volunteers on horsebacks waved AIADMK flags and late Jayalalithaa's images greeted the party workers who came for the meet.

The meet, chaired by AIADMK presidium chairman E Madhusudhanan was attended among others by Palaniswami, Panneerselvam and Ministers.