DMK minister Duraimurugan, the party’s candidate in Katpadi, intensified his election campaign in Vellore district and issued a strong denial of corruption allegations.
Addressing voters in Katpadi, he said public life demands discipline and challenged critics to prove he had taken even one rupee as a bribe in the last 50 years. If such a charge is established, he said, he would “jump into fire” on the spot.
Listing development works, he claimed to have brought facilities such as a court, taluk office, law college, DSP office, a university and a hospital to Katpadi. Despite this, he said some people still refuse to accept him.
Describing himself as a “simple schoolboy” who has done all kinds of work, including selling brinjals, he asked people not to underestimate him, noting that he completed a degree and worked as a lawyer in the High Court. He also took aim at caste-based politics, asking what “big caste” could compete with him, and sought voters’ support, adding that he was unsure whether he would contest future elections.
Separately, he hoisted a black flag at his residence in Katpadi to oppose the constituency delimitation bill. In a media interaction, he questioned the need for delimitation when elections are underway in five states, and alleged that the AIADMK was not opposing it because it was caught in the BJP’s “net.” He also noted that actor Vijay, who recently launched a party, had opposed delimitation, remarking that Vijay did not seem to be under anyone’s control yet.
