Chennai, April 9 Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday dismissed the opposition, stating that they spent their time talking and wishing for his downfall, while the DMK government spent its time working for the people.
Addressing a massive election rally in Maraimalai Nagar here, Stalin said: "We removed the AIADMK rule, which pushed Tamil Nadu into a deep pit for 10 years, and with your support, we established the Dravidian Model government as a new dawn for Tamil Nadu. The opposition spends their time talking; we spend our time working.”
He added that the Dravidian Model 2.0 (a term DMK uses to describe the second term they are seeking) is a blueprint for the future of the state.
Specifically targeting AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami, Stalin accused him of engaging in character assassination and spreading falsehoods instead of discussing policy.
Stalin claimed that Palaniswami's recent comments even crossed the line of decency by wishing for his death. He listed his government's key welfare schemes.
The Chief Minister also took aim at the BJP-AIADMK nexus, labelling the AIADMK as a "slave" to the arrogance of Delhi.
He issued a direct challenge to the AIADMK leadership: "Remove Anna's name. Remove 'Dravida' too. After that, wear a saffron dhoti and carry the 'Kavadi' for anyone — be it the Prime Minister or Amit Shah —we aren't saying no. As far as Tamil Nadu is concerned, it is certain that "fascist BJP and slave AIADMK will be defeated root and branch,” DMK chief said.
Highlighting the industrial prowess of the Kanchipuram and Chengalpattu regions, Stalin reminded the electorate that the fortress of factories, including global giants like Samsung, BMW, and Wipro, was built during DMK tenures. He claimed that under the current regime, Tamil Nadu has achieved an 11.19 per cent growth rate, rebounding from the 0.07 per cent growth left by the previous AIADMK regime.
Stalin detailed several key schemes in the DMK manifesto, such as Rs 8,000-coupon for women to purchase or exchange household appliances. He also promised to double the monthly entitlement for women to Rs 2,000 and increase financial aid for the 'Puthumai Penn' and 'Thamizh Pudhalvan' schemes to Rs 1,500/month.
Additionally, he cited the planned construction of 10 lakh houses for the homeless via the 'Kalaignar Kanavu Illam' project.
The rally, which also featured Karnataka Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, saw the introduction of 11 alliance candidates.