DMK A Family Party, Corporate Company, Alleges AIADMK Chief E Palaniswami

AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami on Sunday alleged that the ruling DMK is a family party and a corporate company with an aim to "loot" at the Centre by coming to power.

Launching the Lok Sabha election campaign of his party and allies, Palaniswami, a former Chief Minister said the Centre's Madurai AIIMS project was launched in Tamil Nadu due to the AIADMK regime (2011-21).

"What did you do?" he asked the DMK on project completion as it had as many as 38 MPs in Lok Sabha (2019-24).

Referring to Tamil Nadu Minister and DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin showing a 'brick' in his campaign in previous polls to indicate that the AIIMS project was a non-starter, Palaniswami said there was no use displaying a brick in public.

"He (Udhayanidhi) is showing brick for publicity. Please change the script," he told the DMK. The project issue should have been taken up in the Parliament by the DMK to exert pressure on the Centre to complete it.

In the 2019 LS polls, DMK and allies got 38 MPs from Tamil Nadu. They could have "shown the brick there (Lok Sabha)" to receive funds and complete that project. They did not have the courage to do that and they were mute, he alleged.

Mr Palaniswami alleged MK Stalin was a puppet and asked what could be expected from him. "What did CM Stalin achieve in three years after assuming power,"? he asked.

Mr Palaniswami alleged the DMK wanted to "loot" at the Centre and in Tamil Nadu as well and that is why it is desperate to capture power at the Centre.

The AIADMK chief claimed that there was nothing to showcase for the ruling party as its achievements and Chief Minister M K Stalin merely blamed him and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Lok Sabha election campaign. The AIADMK leader said his party was not concerned about Stalin's criticism against the Prime Minister.

On the NEET issue, Mr Palaniswami dared the DMK leadership for a debate over which regime introduced NEET. Furthermore, Palaniswami, leader of the opposition said it was the UPA regime, in which Congress and DMK were key constituents, that introduced NEET in 2010.

Both the grand old party and the DMK deceived Tamil Nadu people on NEET through lies, he alleged.

Tamil Nadu has 38 Lok Sabha seats and the state goes to polls on April 19.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)