EPS accuses DMK regime of double standards, says Karur tragedy caused by govt negligence

Chennai, Oct 15 (IANS) AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) on Wednesday accused the DMK government of following "two systems of justice" - one for the opposition and another for the ruling party - while asserting that the Karur tragedy, which claimed 41 lives, was the result of the government's "gross negligence".

Speaking to reporters outside the Tamil Nadu Assembly, Leader of Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, EPS, said that AIADMK members were denied permission to raise the Karur incident in the House.

"We sought to express our views and respond to the government, but we were not allowed. Had proper safety measures been in place, the loss of lives in Karur could have been avoided," he said.

He alleged that the government's approach reflected political bias.

"This government applies one rule for the ruling party and another for the opposition. No matter which opposition party it is, the public meeting at Veluchamipuram did not receive adequate security arrangements," he said, adding that the Karur tragedy was a direct consequence of the administration's "apathy".

EPS questioned the "discrepancies" in official statements about the security deployment.

"The police said 500 officers were on duty, while the Chief Minister later claimed 660 were deployed. These contradictory statements raise serious doubts. I saw on television that there weren't even 500 police personnel present at the crowded venue," he remarked.

He further asked why the government had allotted the disputed land, previously denied to AIADMK, to the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).

"People suspect the land was given with an ulterior motive. Why was a one-man commission formed in haste? It appears the government wants to hide the truth," he alleged.

Palaniswami also charged that the commission's functioning lacked transparency and cooperation. "During the public meeting, Thaveka's leader was to speak for just ten minutes - and a shoe fell. If we speak in the Assembly, we're thrown out. That's why I'm speaking to the people through the media," he said.

Rejecting claims of politicising the issue, EPS insisted, "We are not playing politics over Karur. We are speaking for the people. Why is the ruling party so nervous whenever Karur is mentioned?"

--IANS

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