Chennai: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami launched a sharp attack on the government during an Assembly debate, alleging that its “achievement” in the first three months was forcing elected MLAs to resign and switch sides.
Palaniswami claimed the government had borrowed more than Rs 24,000 crore in three months and warned that if the trend continued, the debt could rise steeply over five years. He also alleged that the budget lacked fresh initiatives and that earlier AIADMK-era schemes were being continued with new names.
Raising concerns about public transport, Palaniswami said many state buses were being operated beyond the prescribed limits and argued that new buses were needed. Transport Minister Parthiban responded that 1,000 air-conditioned electric buses would be procured, but Palaniswami said the scale was inadequate compared to the need for a much larger fleet.
Minister Aadhav Arjuna rejected Palaniswami’s criticism and said political shifts happen when confidence in a party and its leadership erodes. The exchange led to protests by AIADMK MLAs, who demanded that remarks about their party leadership be expunged; Speaker Prabhakar said the matter would be reviewed and appropriate action taken.
