AIADMK's Edappadi Palaniswami Accuses DMK of Hindering Government Cable TV for Family Business

Mettupalayam: In a public address at the “Protect the People, Recover Tamil Nadu” rally held near the Mettupalayam bus stand, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi Palaniswami launched a scathing attack on the ruling DMK, accusing it of sabotaging the state-owned cable TV service to benefit its family-owned private enterprises.

Palaniswami began by acknowledging the recent appointment of C.P. Radhakrishnan as Vice President, calling it “a matter of great pride for Tamil Nadu, this land, and its people that a person born here has been given such a significant responsibility.”  

He swiftly shifted to contrasting governance records, asserting that Tiruppur’s development accelerated under AIADMK rule. “We fulfilled all the basic needs of the people. Did the DMK introduce any new projects during their 52-month rule?” he questioned. He highlighted the construction of a government medical college hospital during his party’s tenure at a cost of ₹350 crore, accusing the DMK of inaugurating AIADMK-initiated projects. “They are essentially naming our child,” he remarked.

Addressing economic issues, Palaniswami highlighted the rising unemployment and inflation rates. “The prices of food items have increased by 40%,” he stated. He recalled that during AIADMK’s rule, “we allocated ₹100 crore as a price control fund,” through which goods were procured from other states and distributed via cooperatives.

The AIADMK leader reserved sharp criticism for the decline of the government cable TV service. “During the AIADMK’s rule, we provided government cable TV to the people at a low cost. Today, the number of government cable TV connections has been gradually decreasing,” he said. He alleged corruption in the DMK’s approach, claiming the government was leasing set-top boxes from Aristo Company, favored by T.R.B. Raja, at exorbitant rates. “They could have provided new set-top boxes for the same cost. There is corruption in this as well,” he asserted, predicting a ₹300 crore loss for the public sector unit.

Palaniswami directly linked the decline to the DMK’s private interests: “Since the DMK family runs a cable TV business, they are working to stifle the government cable TV.” He promised that if returned to power, “we will provide cable TV service at a low cost again.”

He also criticized the DMK’s public grievance mechanisms, noting that nearly 9 lakh petitions submitted under the “Chief Minister’s Address” scheme remain unresolved. Referring to the newly launched “Stalin with You” initiative, he asked, “How can they resolve new petitions when they can’t even address the pending ones?”

The speech concluded with a call for change, positioning the AIADMK as the party capable of restoring transparent and effective governance in Tamil Nadu. 

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