DMK Leaders Launch Scathing Attack on EPS and BJP in Campaign Rallies
In a series of sharp political attacks during campaign rallies across Tamil Nadu, senior DMK leaders have targeted opposition leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing them of opportunistic alliances and remote-control politics.
Kanimozhi Mocks EPS as BJP's 'Washing Machine' Product
DMK MP Kanimozhi, while addressing a campaign event in Mannaparai to bolster support for alliance partner MMK and its candidate P Abdul Samad, MLA, launched a scathing critique of EPS. She ridiculed his political stance, suggesting that instead of making promises like providing a fridge, he should have opted for a washing machine—a metaphor she used to describe BJP's alleged political cleansing of opponents.
"If you are in the opposition, all these central agencies will be used to threaten you," Kanimozhi asserted, referring to BJP's purported use of investigative bodies against political rivals. "The next day, if a party joins BJP or forms an alliance, they are put inside a washing machine to come out clean." She explicitly labeled EPS as a product of such a 'washing machine' exercise, implying his alliance with BJP is a result of political convenience rather than principle.
Kanimozhi further criticized the alliance as opportunistic, claiming it shifts with every election cycle. When questioned by reporters about Union Minister Piyush Goyal's release of a white paper on Tamil Nadu's financial crisis, she retorted, "They should first address the LPG cylinder issue before talking about Tamil Nadu." Her campaign trail continued in Srirangam and various constituencies in Karur, amplifying these messages.
Udhayanidhi Accuses BJP of Remote-Controlling Tamil Nadu
Meanwhile, in Thirumayam, Pudukottai, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin escalated the attack, accusing the BJP of attempting to remote-control Tamil Nadu by leveraging EPS. He contrasted the current political dynamics with previous elections, stating, "Last elections EPS rented AIADMK to BJP, but this time he has sold it," highlighting a perceived deepening of ties between EPS and the BJP.
Responding to EPS's charge that schemes like the laptop distribution initiative were merely extensions of AIADMK's policies, Udhayanidhi defended the DMK government's approach. "Laptop scheme was stopped in 2019, but CM Stalin revived it," he explained. "Instead of giving it to school students, he chose to give to college students, for whom it is more useful. Ten lakh students have benefitted." This rebuttal aimed to underscore the DMK's commitment to effective governance and targeted welfare measures.
The coordinated attacks from DMK leaders come amid intense campaigning, with Kanimozhi and Udhayanidhi positioning the DMK as a bulwark against what they describe as BJP's encroaching influence and EPS's alleged political opportunism. Their rhetoric emphasizes themes of autonomy, principled politics, and developmental achievements, seeking to sway voter sentiment in the ongoing electoral landscape.
