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All India Anna Dravida Muunetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary and Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami on Sunday, October 26, criticised Chief Minister MK Stalin for turning into a “full-time film critic”, ignoring the plight of farmers in Cauvery delta region. The farmers in the state are struggling with rain-hit crops and delays in paddy procurement.
“When I held the paddy that had sprouted in the rain in my hands, I felt the farmers’ pain. But the Chief Minister’s hands are busy holding those of film crews,” Palaniswami said in his social media post.
Palaniswami said that the Chief Minister seemed more interested in watching and reviewing movies than addressing the problems faced by Tamil Nadu’s farmers. His remarks came after CM Stalin praised the film Bison Kaalamaadan on social media. The film stars Dhruv Vikram, Anupama Parameswaran, Rajisha Vijayan and others. Besides, the CM also felicitated the film’s director Mari Selvaraj for making socially relevant films.
The AIADMK leader also referred to earlier incidents, accusing Stalin of ignoring governance issues while engaging with the film industry. “When sanitation workers were protesting, he was watching Coolie. When Jai Bhim was released, he praised it but failed to act on the custodial deaths it highlighted,” he said.
He also claimed that the government had failed to put in place adequate monsoon preparedness measures despite the loss of 31 lives in the recent rains.
“The Chief Minister has become a full-time film critic, forgetting his duty to farmers and the poor. A government that ignores their pain will soon face the people’s verdict,” he added.