Madurai (Tamil Nadu), March 7 Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday claimed that AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami would face the same fate as Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, at the hands of the BJP.
Addressing an event organized here to bring former CM O Panneerselvam's supporters to the DMK, days after the expelled AIADMK leader joined the ruling party, Stalin said OPS is synonymous with loyalty and alleged AIADMK chief Palaniswami is the "epitome of betrayal".
Palaniswami would do anything to protect himself, and you know what his "ultimate betrayal" was? It was mortgaging the AIADMK – nurtured by leaders MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa – to the BJP, the CM said.
Stalin said Palaniswami believed the BJP would be beneficial to him. He alleged: "In fact, the BJP never does anything good to anyone."
Referring to the increase in cooking gas prices, to Rs 60 per cylinder, he said it was a gift to women on the eve of Women's Day. PM Modi claimed to have reduced women's burden by reducing the price by Rs 100 per cylinder in 2024.
"Why has he increased the price today? By likening the hike to the "vote-theft" allegation, the CM asked if it was fair to take away money from people by increasing prices.
He reiterated his allegation that the BJP regime at the Centre tried to obstruct the release of monthly assistance to women under the guise of the upcoming Assembly elections.
However, his DMK government disbursed Rs 5,000 (Rs 1,000 per month for 3 months and Rs 2,000 summer grant) each to 1.31 crore women beneficiaries. The assistance to women will be increased to Rs 2,000 per month after the elections.
The DMK is focused on formulating schemes for people and doing good to them, while the BJP stands for taking everything away from them.
Taking a swipe at the ruling party at the Centre, Stalin said, "Is the BJP, which does not do anything good, going to do any good to the AIADMK? It will destroy the AIADMK, and that is what will happen,"
If Palaniswami had any doubts over this, he must look at Bihar and the information that Nitish Kumar is set to step down as the chief minister is shocking, the CM said.
The CM said, "Palaniswami will meet the same fate as Nitish Kumar."
According to the information he had, Stalin claimed the BJP has already chosen its nominee for the office of AIADMK general secretary, the top post now held by Palaniswami.
He alleged: "Only until this election, can Palaniswami continue (as AIADMK chief). Later, he will be removed. Only that is going to happen. If he had refused to join hands with the BJP, they would have changed him immediately. The AIADMK has become so dependent on the BJP. Palaniswami is helping the BJP to develop itself by getting the votes of AIADMK workers."
The AIADMK-led alliance is only referred to as NDA at meetings, and if the BJP's working pattern is studied, it can be inferred that Palaniswami's fate will be similar to Nitish Kumar in Bihar and the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra.
Addressing Panneerselvam's supporters who were joining DMK at the event, Stalin said, "Since you understood this in advance, you are today joining the DMK, which is the parent Dravidian party; work hard, and your work will be recognized."
Speaking at the event, Panneerselvam said that AIADMK under the present leadership was not the party that was once nurtured by late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, but has been "usurped" by Edappadi K Palaniswami.
Palaniswami altered the party bylaws laid down by founder M G Ramachandran and "stole" the rights of the party members, and he was only focused on sustaining himself, Panneerselvam alleged.
"The present AIADMK is going against the Dravidian principles and social justice policy of former Chief Minister C N Annadurai. Realising that continuing in AIADMK would be against self-respect, I decided to join the DMK, accepting the leadership of M K Stalin," the former chief minister said.
OPS, the expelled AIADMK leader, has joined the DMK along with his former MP son O Ravindranath, in the presence of Stalin on February 27 in Chennai.