AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) on Thursday criticised the Tawega government, alleging that its first 100 days in office had delivered no new welfare schemes for the public. Speaking at a protest in Thanjavur, he described the administration as a “reel rule”, claiming it focused more on publicity than governance.
The AIADMK held statewide demonstrations against the government’s handling of issues including electricity tariff hikes, the Mekedatu dam proposal and the Cauvery water dispute. EPS led the Thanjavur protest, while similar protests were held across multiple districts.
Referring to the Cauvery issue, EPS said Karnataka must release 177.25 TMC of water every year as per the Supreme Court verdict. He urged the Tamil Nadu government to convene an all-party meeting and consult farmers and legal experts to safeguard the state’s rights, and to take steps to prevent Karnataka from proceeding with the Mekedatu dam.
He also demanded that around 10 lakh paddy bags lying at direct procurement centres be moved immediately to warehouses. With drought conditions prevailing, he called for farmers to be permitted to remove silt from lakes and ponds.
Responding to questions about some disgruntled functionaries, including SP Velumani and Natham Viswanathan, reportedly skipping the protest, EPS said their absence would not affect the movement, using an analogy that keeping a comb aside would not stop a wedding.
