AIADMK’s Edappadi K Palaniswami accused CM MK Stalin of failing to address farmers’ issues and not increasing the Mullaperiyar Dam’s water level as per the Supreme Court’s verdict, alleging he deceives voters with election-time rhetoric.
EPS Accuses Stalin of Neglecting Farmers, Mullaperiyar Dam
AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday accused the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, saying that he didn’t address the issues faced by the farmers. He also said that the CM did not pay attention to increasing the water storage level of the Mullaperiyar Dam.
Speaking at a campaign at Andipatti in Theni district, Palaniswami said that if the Chief Minister had not overlooked the issue and held discussions regarding the matter, the water level could have been increased according to the verdict of the apex court. “Theni district is a stronghold of the AIADMK. The AIADMK government took steps to strengthen the Mullaperiyar Dam. We had also placed a request with the Chief Minister of Kerala to reinforce the dam, but a change in government occurred afterwards. The present Chief Minister, who is in alliance with the Communist Party, has not addressed the issues faced by farmers. If he had met and held talks with the Chief Minister there, the water storage level of the dam could have been increased in accordance with the Supreme Court’s verdict. But he did not do so,” he said. “Do we need such a Chief Minister? We must think about it,” he asked.
AIADMK’s Stance on New Dam Project
He noted that the AIADMK government opposed the Kerala government’s plan to build a new dam near Mullai Periyar to protect the water rights of Tamil Nadu. However, Stalin did not take any steps to resolve the water issues of the people in the five districts. “The AIADMK government prevented the Kerala government’s plan to build a new dam near Mullai Periyar. Chief Minister MK Stalin has not given due attention to the Mullai Periyar Dam, nor has he taken the necessary steps. If he had intended to, he could have implemented the tender brought by the AIADMK, resolved the water issues of people in five districts, and enforced the Supreme Court’s order,” he said.
‘Stalin Deceives People with False Information’
He criticised the Chief Minister, saying that he remembers critical issues such as the opposition to Hindi, language policy, and state rights only during election time. EPS further alleged that Stalin deceives the public by speaking in a persuasive manner and spreading false information. “When elections approach, MK Stalin suddenly remembers issues like opposition to Hindi, language policy, and state rights. But has he actually done anything about them? Do we need a Chief Minister who deceives the people, speaks in a persuasive manner, spreads false information, and seeks votes? The only achievement of this government is that after MK Stalin came to power as Chief Minister, the people of Tamil Nadu have been turned into debtors,” he said.
Tamil Nadu Election Landscape
The remarks come as Tamil Nadu nears the Assembly elections 2026, scheduled to take place on April 23, with counting of votes on May 4. The main contest is expected between the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, which includes the Indian National Congress, DMDK and VCK, and the National Democratic Alliance led by AIADMK with BJP and PMK as allies. Actor-turned-politician Vijay is also set to make his electoral debut with his party TVK, which could turn the contest into a three-way fight.
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