Palaniswami Targets Stalin: Critiques Women's Reservation Bill Stance and Governance

Edappadi K Palaniswami, AIADMK General Secretary and Opposition Leader in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister MK Stalin regarding his stance on the Women's Reservation Bill. He claimed that Home Minister Amit Shah assured that Tamil Nadu would maintain its count of 59 MPs. Palaniswami also criticized the DMK administration, labeling it as the only government dissolved over corruption.

Speaking at a rally in Palladam ahead of the state assembly election scheduled for April 23, Palaniswami mocked Stalin's protest attire. He remarked on Stalin's black shirt as a symbol of opposition to the Women's Reservation Bill, which the AIADMK, under Jayalalithaa's leadership, had previously supported for implementation in Parliament. Palaniswami praised PM Modi for taking steps towards establishing women's rights through legislative reservations.

Palaniswami also highlighted DMK's failure to effectively address issues in Parliament, contrasting it with AIADMK's history of assertive action during crises, like the Cauvery water dispute. He leveled corruption charges against the DMK, citing massive financial irregularities in the liquor sector and criticized the state's governance regarding public safety and economic management. Contending that crime rates and cost of living have surged, he challenged the government’s claims on job creation and economic progress as exaggerated.