In a sharp political escalation, AIADMK general secretary and Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Monday threw down the gauntlet, accepting Chief Minister M.K. Stalin's challenge for an open public debate. The proposed face-off aims to let the people decide which government—the previous AIADMK regime or the current DMK administration—has delivered more for Tamil Nadu.
The Call for a Public Verdict
The challenge originated from Chief Minister Stalin, who, at a government event in December last year, claimed that the ten-year AIADMK rule from 2011 to 2021 could not account for even 5% of the achievements of the Dravidian model DMK government since 2021. Addressing an AIADMK women's conference in Kallakurichi, Palaniswami seized the opportunity, stating, "Let the people decide which government had achieved more."
Allegations of Law & Order Collapse and Tragedy
Palaniswami launched a multi-pronged attack on the DMK's record, starting with law and order. He asserted that crimes against children have surged by 50% under the DMK regime. Citing a DMK minister's own statement, he noted that police have registered 6,999 cases under the POCSO Act and the government has disbursed Rs 104 crore in compensation to survivors.
He sharply criticized the government's delay in appointing a full-time Director General of Police (DGP), linking it to a perceived breakdown in security. "Every day there are murders, burglaries and rapes... The state is headless without a full-time DGP. There is no protection for children, women and senior citizens. Crimes have doubled in the DMK regime," he charged.
The AIADMK leader also held the DMK government squarely responsible for the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy that claimed 68 lives. He accused Stalin of having no time to visit the grieving families but finding time for movies, cycling, and walking. Palaniswami alleged a cover-up, claiming the then district collector, SP, and DMK MLA initially stated only three people died of various causes to protect the government's image. "If the then collector, SP and MLA admitted the truth, the people could have been saved," he contended, explaining that others consumed the same liquor at the victims' funerals, leading to the high death toll.
Unfulfilled Promises vs. Past Achievements
Turning to governance, Palaniswami accused the DMK of failing to deliver on its electoral pledges. He said the party, which made 525 poll promises, has not fulfilled even one-fourth of them, despite claiming an 80% completion rate. He cited the distribution of laptops to students, which only began recently after a four-year delay, as a move prompted by fear of defeat in the forthcoming assembly polls.
In contrast, he highlighted the AIADMK's economic record, pointing to the Global Investors Summit in January 2019. That event, he said, attracted investments worth about Rs 3.05 lakh crore through the signing of 304 MoUs. "As a result, many factories became operational, providing jobs to 10 lakh youth," he stated, listing it as a key achievement of his tenure.
Mocking the DMK's investment claims, Palaniswami said when asked for a white paper on investments brought in by the current regime, they provide a blank sheet. "That's the truth—they accomplished nothing... When we ask DMK how many factories they established or MoUs they signed, there's no response. Should such a government continue?" he questioned, concluding his broadside.
