All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday criticized the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) rule in Tamil Nadu on law and order in the state.
While addressing a rally in Tamil Nadu’s Sivakasi ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in the state on April 23, Palaniswami asserted that if the party comes to power, it will eliminate long-standing projects and improve stability in the state, news agency PTI reported.
While making several criticisms of the ruling DMK government, the AIADMK chief also reiterated his support for the fireworks and match industries in Sivakasi district.
Palaniswami lists the allegations against the DMK
He criticized the DMK for stalling the Cauvery-Gundar river link project and asserted that his party – AIADMK will implement it if it forms government in the poll-bound state.
He targeted the DMK government on the Cauvery-Gundaru project and said it was planned to fill canals, lakes and ponds with surplus water from the Mettur dam, news agency PTI reported. He claimed that the DMK government has put this project in cold storage.
Talking about Sivakasi, Palaniswami said that the region is famous not only in Tamil Nadu but all over the world for its fireworks industry. “When the fireworks industry faced a crisis when I was prime minister, I led a committee of 20 MPs to meet the Union minister to demand that the sale of firecrackers not be banned,” he said.
He pointed out that it was the AIADMK that “voiced” in the court to save the fireworks industry. “Thousands of people are working in these industries. There are many farmers and printers here. If the AIADMK government is formed again, these industries will be protected,” he asserted.
Attacking the DMK government once again, he pointed out setting up a medical college and a hospital at a cost of Rs $400 crore in Virudhunagar district during the previous AIADMK government, he said the DMK took credit for the project.
“When the AIADMK government comes back to power, this project will be completed. For this reason, $Rs 14,000 crore has been allocated and I personally laid the foundation stone. Before this could be completed, the government changed. Once this project is completed, Virudhunagar area will be lush and green.
Attacking the DMK government over the law and order situation in the state, Palaniswami alleged that the state was in a state of chaos in this area and that there was no safety for the girl child or the elderly.
“Do you want such a government to continue? A ‘puppet chief minister’ who cannot even appoint a permanent DG? The state will prosper only if law and order is good. The only thought of the DMK is to charge, collect and corruption,” he asked.
Referring to the banner displayed by the children when he arrived for the election campaign, Palaniswami said: “Look what is written on it – Only AIADMK government is safe for women. We don’t want DMK anymore – look how deeply these problems have been settled in the minds of children.”
Apart from this, the AIADMK supremo also claimed that marijuana or ganja is being sold openly across the state.
“Ganja is sold everywhere. It comes in many forms like pills, chocolate and liquids. Students and youth are greatly affected. I have spoken about it many times, but they choose to ignore it,” he said.
Pointing out that children are being ruined by marijuana, he said the AIADMK government should come in to prevent this, adding that in just three months, marijuana will be eradicated in Tamil Nadu if his party is voted to power. “We will take steps to make it a marijuana-free state,” he stressed.
Palaniswami further alleged that even the police have no safety from drug addicts. He added: “Not a day goes by without murder, robbery or sexual harassment at the hands of drug addicts. Even a two-year-old child does not escape from it. The reason is the failure of those in power to protect law and order.”
Recalling the pandemic, he stated that when the DMK government claimed that the Center was not releasing funds to the state, it was his party that was protecting the people.
“During the Covid-19 period, there were no tax revenues for a year, but we still protected people. We managed everything and spent approximately $40,000 Crores. At that time, we ensured the financial stability of the state.”
The AIADMK campaigns in poll-bound Tamil Nadu
Edappadi K Palaniswami, who made the comments while addressing an election rally in Tamil Nadu’s Sivakasi ahead of elections in the state on April 23, 2026, was seeking votes for his party’s candidates Rajendra Balaji, Rajavarman, Chandraprabha, Ganesan and Sethupathi.
He also campaigned for Alliance Party candidate Priscilla Jebaraj from Tamilaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam, who is set to contest for AIADMK’s ally – the BJP.
(with PTI inputs)
