MK Stalin levelling graft charges out of 'frustration': AIADMK

MK Stalin

The ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu Wednesday hit out at DMK President MK Stalin for levelling corruption charges against its government, saying he was making such allegations out of 'frustration.' AIADMK mouthpiece 'Namathu Puratchi Thalaivi Amma' also recalled past corruption charges against the DMK, such as the 2G spectrum allocation scam and took a dig at Stalin for leading his party's protests on Tuesday from Chief Minister K Palaniswami's native district Salem.

Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam were "creating new awakening" in Tamil Nadu in the AIADMK rule, it said. It alleged that following the demise of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in December 2016, "those who dreamt of the government falling and a split in the party are frustrated that their dreams have not come true." "Stalin is making desperate attempts to somehow topple this government and become the Chief Minister," a write-up in the AIADMK mouthpiece said.

The leader of Opposition in the state Assembly made attempts to create 'violence' in the House "to create law and order problems", it charged, while referring to the chaotic scenes witnessed during the February 2017 confidence vote of the Palaniswami government, allegedly involving the Opposition party MLAs.

It said Stalin, whose DMK had staged black flag protests against Governor Banwarilal Purohit during his visits to districts to hold review meetings with officials, later petitioned the latter regarding alleged irregularities in the Highways Department in the wake of IT raids against a contractor. Palaniswami holds, among others, the Highways portfolio.

"Frustrated that he has not received any success (politically) despite holding many protests and that people are not supporting him, he is levelling corruption charges from the Chief Minister's native place (Salem)," it said. The mouthpiece lashed out at the DMK on a number of issues, including the Sri Lankan Tamils issue and land grab charges against former DMK Ministers during its 2006-11 rule. An Opposition party should use the democratic right of holding protests for "just causes" and point out shortcomings which will be addressed by the government. "Instead, levelling corruption charges and seeking the removal of the government... no opposition party in the world does this," it said.

Opposition DMK Tuesday staged state-wide protests against the "corrupt" AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu, with party chief MK Stalin leading the charge in Salem. Stalin had said "people of Tamil Nadu have not seen such a corrupt government in the history of the state" and called it a "slave" to the Centre.

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