Edappadi K Palaniswami, general secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), on Tuesday, March 3, claimed that Tamil Nadu is battling a growing drug menace and promised to eradicate it within three months if the party is elected to power.
Addressing an election rally in Sivakasi, the Leader of the Opposition campaigned for AIADMK candidates KT Rajenthra Bhalaji, M Chandra Prabha, S Sethupathi, MSR Rajavarman, and VG Ganesan, along with Priscilla Pandian.
“Ganja is available in different forms — such as chocolate, tablets, and liquid. The lives of the members of the public, including school and college students addicted to ganja, are being ruined,” he said, according to The Hindu.
He added that he had raised the issue of drug abuse multiple times in the Assembly. “Children are our future. We see their lives being ruined, and to stop these evils, the AIADMK must return to power in Tamil Nadu,” he said.
“The AIADMK government will ensure that ganja is not available anywhere,” he added.
He alleged that the police are unable to root out the narcotics problem because members of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) were involved in drug trafficking.
“Even the police have no protection against drug addicts. In fact, addicts even assault police personnel,” he said.
He also alleged that sexual assaults on women and children were rising under the DMK regime. Displaying a T-shirt that he said was given to him by young girls in Sivakasi, he said it carried messages expressing fear over safety. “Only the AIADMK can ensure our safety. We do not want DMK rule any more,” it read.
The AIADMK leader said that the upcoming Assembly election was an opportunity to address these issues and bring change in governance. He also said action would be taken against officials or ministers in the Urban Development and Water Supply Departments who are under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate if the AIADMK returns to power.
He accused the DMK government of shelving the Cauvery–Gundar link scheme, which he said was introduced during the AIADMK regime. “A sum of Rs 14,000 crore was allocated for the project, but the DMK government has shelved it. The scheme will be revived once the AIADMK returns to power,” he said.
He further alleged that the DMK had not established any new government medical colleges during its tenure, in contrast to the 11 set up under the AIADMK government.