Stalin Questions Palaniswami’s Silence on Centre’s Rejection of Paddy Moisture Norm Relief
CM accuses AIADMK leader of betraying paddy farmers.
Chief Minister MK Stalin launched a scathing attack on AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, accusing him of remaining silent when the Union government rejected Tamil Nadu’s plea to relax paddy moisture norms from 17 per cent to 22 per cent, thereby leaving thousands of delta farmers in distress after unseasonal rains soaked harvested crops.
Stalin questioned whether Palaniswami viewed political alliances merely as an excuse to compromise Tamil Nadu’s self-respect and rights, pointing out that while the DMK government had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expanded procurement centres, the former Chief Minister chose political posturing over genuine support by merely donning a green scarf instead of pressing the Centre to accept the state’s legitimate demand.
The Chief Minister highlighted that Palaniswami had earlier “submissively” supported the now-repealed three farm laws and challenged him to demonstrate courage by urging the Union government, even once, to honour the demands of Tamil Nadu’s farmers whose crops now face rejection at procurement centres, causing widespread protests across the Cauvery delta region.
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In a sharp counter-offensive from Salem, Edappadi Palaniswami accused the DMK regime of administrative negligence that aggravated the paddy crisis, asserting that timely preparation and foresight could have mitigated farmers’ losses despite the Centre’s refusal to relax moisture norms, while offering no clarification on why the Union government turned down the state’s request.
Palaniswami also charged the Stalin government with deliberately delaying the appointment of a permanent Director General of Police, alleging that the ruling party fears the UPSC shortlist forwarded by the Centre may contain officers unfavourable to the DMK, thereby preferring to keep a pliable officer in acting charge rather than adhering to mandatory procedures.
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