Chennai, May 27 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday flayed AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami for his charge that the former attended the NITI Ayog meeting in New Delhi to safeguard his family's funds, asserting the opposition leader harped on the issue as he could not find any fault with the DMK government in the state.
The chief minister was responding to the AIADMK leader's accusation that Stalin, who skipped the Niti Aayog General Council meeting for three years, chose to attend the meeting on May 24 only to ensure his family's interest.
"He (Palaniswami) has nothing to find fault with my government, so he is harping on the same thing. I don't want to lower my standards by answering him," Stalin told reporters at Kolathur here when his attention was drawn to Palaniswami's latest remark on Monday.
Addressing a rally after hoisting a 126-feet high AIADMK flag at Chinnasalem in Kallakurichi district on May 26, Palaniswami questioned Tamil Nadu CM's intention to attend the Niti Aayog General Council meeting. He wondered if Stalin's New Delhi visit was really meant to obtain funds for the state or to safeguard the funds of his family members.
"Edappadi Palaniswami is dwelling on the same issue about my Delhi trip. I had already replied that I did not go (to the national capital) with a white flag or wave a saffron flag that Palaniswami has," Stalin, president of the ruling DMK, said.
He could list out numerous serious lapses on the part of the previous AIADMK government starting from the Sathankulam custodial death, but this would only take time, the chief minister, on a visit to his home constituency Kolathur, said.
Stalin laid the foundation stone for the construction of three senior citizens' homes at an estimated cost of Rs 22.61 crore, on behalf of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, and inaugurated the General Kumaramangalam Pond and Park renovated at a cost of Rs 4.36 crore, and the Thanikachalam Nagar Canal that was renovated for Rs 91.36 crore.
He gave away prizes to students from Kolathur area for scoring high marks in the Class 10 and 12 public examinations, distributed two-wheelers to 150 differently-abled persons, sewing machines and laptops to beneficiaries at an event organised by the Anitha Achievers Academy.