A large number of people turned up for the Golden Jubilee event of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) held at Madurai, on Sunday, August 20. The party’s general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami also got a moniker from the party - ‘Puratchi Tamilar’ (meaning ‘revolutionary Tamilian’) - during the event. The party’s stalwarts were also given similar titles in the past; ‘Puratchi Thalaivar’ (revolutionary leader) for MG Ramachandran and ‘Puratchi Thalaivi’ for J Jayalalithaa. He was also given a silver sceptre and a ‘vel’ or spear, saying it signifies the sovereignty of the AIADMK party.
The golden jubilee celebrations held at Madurai was a show of strength after the expulsion of party leader and former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam (OPS) from the party in September 2022. EPS inaugurated the golden jubilee celebrations of the party in Madurai. During the flag hoisting function, around 600 kilograms of flower petals were showered from a helicopter on Palaniswami, as he was hoisting the party flag on a 51-ft pole.
In Palaniswami’s speech that went on for nearly an hour, he demanded the resignation of Chief Minister MK Stalin claiming that he did not have the “moral right” to hold the position. Alleging that he was running an “anti-people and corrupt government”, Palaniswami said that the DMK returned to power based on false promises. The party also included this in the 32 resolutions they passed during the celebration.
The party also lashed out at CM Stalin for not continuing the schemes implemented by the previous AIADMK government, including the gold for marriage scheme, free laptop for students, mini-clinics and subsidised two-wheelers for women. It also pointed out that there was an increase in prices of essential commodities, taxes and tariff. EPS also alleged that there was a deterioration in law and order in the state and rampant corruption.
EPS alleged that DMK falsely promised NEET exemption for the state and said that the party ‘enacted a drama’ by passing the Bill. Pointing out that the policy was introduced during the previous Congress regime, he said that the NEET notification in 2010 was issued when DMK’s S Gandhiselvan served as the Union minister of state for health and family welfare. His comments were made on the day when DMK’s youth wing was holding a hunger strike opposing the NEET entrance exam for medical education. “They are organising a hunger strike and hiding this fact. What kind of cheating is this?” Palaniswami asked, according to The Times of India.
In their resolution, AIADMK also reiterated the two-language policy and asked the Union government to bring a legislation making Tamil a compulsory subject, as well as to provide Tamil as a medium of instruction in all educational institutions in the state. They also asked the Union government to declare ‘Thirukkural’ as a national book, and to restore peace in the state of Manipur.
Southern Tamil Nadu is a stronghold of the powerful Thevar community to which former Chief Minister and expelled AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam, AIADMK ex-general secretary and close associate of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa VK Sasikala and AMMK Chief and VK Sasikala’s nephew TTV Dhinakaran belong. By conducting a massive programme in Madurai , EPS is believed to be conveying a strong message to the party detractors that he is powerful across the state of Tamil Nadu.
(With IANS inputs)