All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday took a jibe at the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu over the law and order in the state. As he pinned down the ruling DMK government with several criticisms, the AIADMK supremo also assured support for the firework and match industries in the Sivakasi district. (PTI file photo)

As Palaniswami addressed a rally in Tamil Nadu's Sivakasi ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in the state on April 23, he assured that if party comes into power, it would eradicate long standing projects and improve stability in the state, reported news agency PTI.

As he pinned down the ruling DMK government with several criticisms, the AIADMK supremo also assured support for the firework and match industries in the Sivakasi district.

Palaniswami lists allegations against DMK Slamming the DMK for stalling the Cauvery-Gundar river linking project and asserted that his party - the AIADMK would implement it if it forms a government in the poll-bound state.

Targeting the DMK government on the Cauvery-Gundaru project, he said it was planned to fill canals, lakes, and ponds with surplus water from the Mettur Dam, PTI reported. The DMK government has put this project in cold storage, he claimed.

Talking of Sivakasi, Palaniswami said that the region is not just famous in Tamil Nadu but across the world for its firework industry. “When the firework industry faced a crisis while I was the chief minister, I led a committee of 20 MPs to meet the union minister to demand that the sale of fireworks should not be banned,” he said.

He recalled that it was the AIADMK that "voiced" in court to save the fireworks industry. "Thousands of people work in these industries, and there are many farmers and printing press workers here. If the AIADMK government is formed again, these industries will be protected," he assured.

Hitting out at the DMK government once again, he pointed towards the establishment of a medical college and hospital at an outlay of ₹400 crore in Virudhunagar district during the previous AIADMK government, he said the DMK took credit for the project.

“When the AIADMK government returns to power, this project will be completed. For this, ₹14,000 crore was allocated and I personally laid the foundation stone. Before it could be finished, the government changed. Once this project gets completed, Virudhunagar district will be lush and green,” he added.

Attacking the DMK government over law and order situation in the state, Palaniswami alleged that the state was in shambles in this field and that there was no safety for girl child or to elderly.

"Do you want such a government to continue? A 'Puppet CM' who cannot even appoint a permanent DGP? A state will prosper only if law and order is good. The DMK's only thought is commission, collection, corruption," he argued.

Referring to a banner that was displayed by children when he arrived for campaigning, Palaniswami said, “See what is written on it -- Only the AIADMK government is safe for women. We do not want DMK any more -- See how deeply these problems have been settled in the minds of children,” he said.

Apart from these, the AIADMK supremo also claimed that marijuana or ganja is being openly sold across the state.

“Ganja is being sold everywhere. It comes in many forms like pills, chocolates, liquids. Students and youngsters are largely affected. I have spoken about it many times, but they chose to neglect them,” he said.

Noting that children are being ruined over ganja, he said that the AIADMK government should come to prevent this adding that in just three months, the ganja will be eradicated in Tamil Nadu if his party is voted into power. “We will take steps to make it a ganja-free state,” he asserted.

Palaniswami further alleged that even the police have no safety from drug addicts. "Not a day goes by without murder, robbery or sexual harassment by drug addicts. Even a two-year-old child is not spared. The reason is the failure of those in power to protect law and order," he said.

Recalling the pandemic, he mentioned that when the DMK government claimed that the Centre was not releasing funds to the state, it was his party who protected the people.

"During the Covid-19 period, there was no tax revenue for a year, but yet we protected the people. We managed everything and spent almost ₹40,000 crore. At that time, we ensured the financial stability of the state," he stated.

AIADMK campaigns in poll-bound Tamil Nadu Edappadi K Palaniswami, who made these comments as he addressed an election campaign rally in Tamil Nadu's Sivakasi ahead of polls in the state on April 23, 2026, was seeking votes for its party candidates Rajendhra Balaji, Rajavarman, Chandraprabha, Ganesan and Sethupathi.

He also campaigned for alliance party candidate Priscilla Jebaraj of Tamilaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam, who is set to contest for AIADMK ally - the Bharatiya Janata Party.

(With PTI inputs)