Palaniswami takes a dig at DMK campaign, says crimes rising in TN

AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami took a dig at the ruling DMK's ''Tamil Nadu Thalai Kuniyadhu'' (TN will not bow down) campaign, on Saturday, saying the increasing crimes in the state present a different story. The DMK's public outreach programme to be launched tomorrow is meant to highlight the achievements of the state government and expose BJP's ''deceit'' the party had said. Palaniswami claimed that during the last 56 months of DMK rule, Chief Minister M K Stalin converted the police department into his ''own department.'' ''The law and order situation is in shambles. From a 6-year-old girl to older women, they are unable to walk on the road as they lack safety. Drug addiction was another menace afflicting the people,'' the former chief minister said in a statement here. He flayed the chief minister for attending his party's women's conference and pointed out that Mahatma Gandhi had declared that true independence would only be achieved when women could walk freely on the roads, even at midnight. Likening the chief minister to a ''despot,'' Palaniswami said Stalin was under the impression that he could not be defeated at the hustings. Quoting a few lines from MGR (AIADMK founder M G Ramachandran) film, Palaniswami said the situation would transform, as the people will usher in regime change by electing the AIADMK. ''Then the people of Tamil Nadu, especially women, will gain freedom,'' Palaniswami added.