Stalin, Palaniswami spar over opportunism charges amid Covid-19 fight

Blame game continued in Tamil Nadu on Sunday (April 12) with DMK president and Leader of Opposition MK Stalin accusing Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami of doing “opportunistic politics” visa-a-vis the fight against Covid-19 pandemic.

This came a day after the chief minister had levelled the same charges against Stalin and accused of indulging in “opportunistic politics” on the issue. There was no place for politics during such a ‘disaster,’ Stalin said in response to Palaniswami’s charge against him on Saturday.

Hitting out at Stalin after he wrote a letter to him, raising many issues, including the need for extending the lockdown, Palaniswami had said the state took an early lead in tackling the spread of Covid-19 and slammed the leader of opposition of doing “opportunistic politics”.

On Sunday, Stalin refuted Palaniswami’s contention that he was trying to paint a picture that the government was not doing anything in the fight against coronavirus, and recalled his party’s constructive support to the ruling AIADMK in its efforts in this matter.

Related news: Palaniswami’s Twitter avatar: Tweetheart for some, opportunist for others

“I only said the government has to be prepared, considering the severity of the pandemic. The chief minister cannot even tolerate that,” the DMK chief said in a statement here.

“If it were true the state had indeed taken a lead ahead in January as the chief minister said, then why had he last week appealed to people who had travelled out of the state to volunteer themselves for COVID-19 tests?” Stalin asked.

If, as stated by Palaniswami, the government procured necessary personal protection equipment and N-95 masks among others in advance, why he mentioned in late March that a number of these items are going to be purchased, Stalin asked.

“As the state Leader of the Opposition, can I not raise (these issues)? What is opportunism in this? I am asking (questions) at the time they need to be asked,” he said.

The DMK had for long warned the government on this issue and its repeated pleas earlier to curtail the Assembly session last month was proof enough, the DMK chief said.

However, the chief minister had initially batted for the completion of the session, originally scheduled till April 9 before it was cut short, he said.

On his opposition to the state government’s decision to utilise ₹1 crore from MLAs’ funds, which was ridiculed by Palaniswami on Saturday, Stalin said the legislators will only spend the money according to local needs. He claimed it was a ‘conspiracy’ to prevent the good work done by his party MLAs.

Related news: The Federal Impact: TN asks Collectors not to set up disinfectant tunnels

Further, he wondered what was the “hesitation” in extending the ongoing lockdown and questioned if the state was apprehensive of Centre in this matter.

Incidentally, his party had urged the Centre to heed Tamil Nadu’s plea for grants towards various efforts in its fight against Covid-19, during the video conference meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi had had with opposition leaders earlier.

Stalin said this was not the time to do politics, but his party will not remain silent if the government “played with the lives of people.”

“Government should function properly for the people, else DMK will make the government function. I reiterate that there are many platforms for the DMK to do politics but this disaster is one meant to serve people,” he added.

(With inputs from agencies)