With the judiciary and even the Election Commission recognising the AIADMK under him, the party will function at “jet speed” and ensure people’s voices are heard in Parliament, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said on Tuesday.
Alliance with national parties would do no good for Tamil Nadu as both the Congress or the BJP-led alliances always meted out step-motherly treatment to the state, he claimed and said the AIADMK had already made it clear that it would not have an electoral pact with the BJP.
“We are getting affected and are sidelined as national parties are not upholding coalition dharma. There’s no point in depending on national parties. People who vote are our masters. We will work for our masters rather than projecting someone as Prime Ministerial candidate,” Palaniswami said in his maiden address at the party’s General Council and Executive Committee meeting held at Srivaru Venkatachalapathy Palace in suburban Vanagaram, after he was elected as AIADMK’s general secretary.
The AIADMK would ensure the voice of the people are heard in Parliament, he said and pointed out that in the past the AIADMK functioned effectively in raising the issues concerning Tamil Nadu.
“Our 37 MPs stalled the Parliament for 22 days on the Cauvery issue. We will work for the people, ensure more funds for the development of Tamil Nadu,” he said at the meeting.
Training his guns on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and the INDIA bloc, Palaniswami said the opposition parties-led alliance was a picture of contrast and differences, with Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar reminding the DMK leaders that Hindi is our national language and that they have to learn it.
“Why didn’t Chief Minister Stalin, who always favours Tamil in everything and everywhere, raise his voice when the Bihar Chief Minister declined a translation of his speech into English?” Palaniswami asked, referring to the incident at the fourth meeting of the opposition alliance in Delhi on December 19.
“This is the position in the INDIA alliance,” the former Chief Minister said.
On the issue of a PM candidate for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he said since people were the masters his party was for the people and not the Prime Minister. In a veiled reference to the deposed former coordinator O Panneerselvam, Palaniswami alleged “some traitors joined hands with our enemies to destroy the AIADMK. But justice was on our side and it prevailed in the court. The Election Commission of India has recognised us. Henceforth, the AIADMK will function at jet speed.” Addressing his followers in Coimbatore, Panneerselvam said “Palaniswami would go to Tihar jail if I reveal the mistakes that happened during the AIADMK rule.”