From being dubbing voice Palaniswami has now become original voice of BJP TN CM

    Thiruvarur (Tamil Nadu), Jul 10 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday claimed that opposition AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami, who was hitherto the 'dubbing voice' of the BJP, has indeed become its original voice now, trying to outperform the saffron party leaders.
    Hitting out at Palaniswami’s ongoing statewide election tour as a 'campaign of deceit' as he 'misled' the people, the chief minister questioned the AIADMK leader’s knowledge on the use of funds from the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department for establishing colleges.
    There was a provision in the HR&CE Act to establish educational institutions for the benefit of the students and even former Chief Minister and AIADMK leader M G Ramachandran had inaugurated colleges during his tenure and Palaniswami too inaugurated additional buildings at such institutions, Stalin said while speaking at an event here.
    "Did you inaugurate the building under some stupor? How is it wrong (for the DMK) to start colleges with HR&CE funds?" Stalin asked, taking strong exception to Palaniswami’s claims that the ruling DMK established ten arts and science colleges with HR&CE funds.
    Palaniswami, during his campaign, asked, "How can the state government utilise the temple funds given by devotees for temple upkeep to set up arts and science colleges? Should not the state government allocate separate funds from the government treasury."
    Stalin said, "Palaniswami has been a dubbing voice for the BJP. Now he has become the original voice of that party."
    Ridiculing the former CM, Stalin remarked, "I am reminded of a comedy scene from a Tamil movie in which the comedian says he is acting more than he is getting paid for."
    He sought to know why Palaniswami remained 'silent' over Governor R N Ravi not clearing the Assembly Bill seeking to establish a university in the name of Kalaignar (late Chief Minister M Karunanidhi) and added that his government would seek legal recourse to set up the university.
    "People will not believe the deceitful campaign of Palaniswami, who has a track record of betraying the person who introduced him (into the party), the party men, and people of the state," Stalin alleged.
    The opposition leader who couldn't retrieve his own party was carrying out a campaign to redeem Tamil Nadu. He hardly realised that the state had already been regained from him (by the DMK in 2021), the chief minister said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)