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Addressing a rally in Tamil Nadu’s Sivakasi, Palaniswami alleged that there was no safety for women in the state, and that marijuana was being sold openly.
AIADMK supremo Edappadi K Palaniswami. (PTI/File)
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) chief Edappadi K Palaniswami hit out at the DMK government on Tuesday during an election rally over the law and order situation in the state, alleging that there was no safety for women or police in Tamil Nadu.
Addressing a rally in Tamil Nadu’s Sivakasi ahead of the state Assembly elections on April 23, Palaniswami assured that if the party comes to power, it would eradicate ganja trafficking within three months. He also assured support for the fireworks and match industries in Sivakasi.
“When the firework industry faced a crisis while I was the chief minister, I led a committee of 20 MPs to meet the union minister to demand that the sale of fireworks should not be banned,” he was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times. “If the AIADMK government is formed again, these industries will be protected.”
Palaniswami Hits Out At DMK
The AIADMK supremo also slammed the DMK government for stalling the Cauvery-Gundar River linking project and asserted that his party would implement it once it forms a government in Tamil Nadu. He said the project was intended to fill canals, lakes, and ponds with surplus water from the Mettur Dam.
He also accused the DMK of taking credit for the establishment of a medical college and hospital at an outlay of Rs 400 crore in Virudhunagar district during the previous AIADMK government. “For this, Rs 14,000 crore was allocated, and I personally laid the foundation stone. Before it could be finished, the government changed,” he said.
He also said there was no safety for women or the elderly under the DMK government. “Do you want such a government to continue? A ‘Puppet CM’ who cannot even appoint a permanent DGP? A state will prosper only if law and order are good. The DMK’s only thought is commission, collection, corruption,” he argued.
READ MORE: Tamil Nadu CM Face 2026: Who Will Be DMK, AIADMK And BJP’s Chief Ministerial Candidate?
Pointing towards a banner that was displayed by children when he arrived at the rally, Palaniswami said, “See what is written on it — Only the AIADMK government is safe for women. We do not want DMK any more.” He also claimed that marijuana was being sold openly in the state, which was adversely impacting children.
Palaniswami’s remarks came as Tamil Nadu prepares for Assembly elections on April 23, 2026, where he is contesting as AIADMK’s chief ministerial face. The AIADMK-led NDA will take on the DMK and Congress alliance in the elections, whose results will be declared on May 4.
(with inputs from PTI)
Sivakasi, India, India
April 01, 2026, 07:38 IST
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