Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisamy on Saturday lashed out at former CM O Paneerselvam, saying that the latter worked against late J Jayalalithaa's government.
"Everybody watched how rival faction (OPS camp) worked against Amma's government. This day brought forward real Amma supporters," said Palanisamy while addressing the media in Chennai after winning a trust vote in the Tamil Nadu Assembly
Palanisamy won the confidence vote 122-11.
He said with his government winning the vote in the Assembly, the vow taken by AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala has been fulfilled.
"The vow taken by our party's General Secretary V K Sasikala has been fulfilled," he said as party cadres raised slogans "Chinnama Vaazhga!" at the MGR memorial, hailing Sasikala.
He was apparently referring to Sasikala's earlier assertion that Jayalalithaa's government would continue in the state.
Palanisamy, flanked by his ministers and senior party leaders, including party Deputy General Secretary, TTV Dinakaran, paid floral tributes at the memorials of party founder M G Ramachandran and late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.
Talking to reporters, Palanisamy said, a party which had been nurtured by AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa, was ignored by some and they wanted to unseat this government by allegedly joining hands with DMK.
"Their true face has been exposed by today's result", he said.
Asked whether he would take action against those who went away from the party, he said, only the party can decide.
On the issues that would be taken up, the chief minister said the first issue was to address out the severe water crisis in the state.
"The state is facing severe water crisis that was not experienced in the last 140 years. Solving the drinking water problem will be my first priority," Palanisamy said.
He said he would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and get the relief fund for the damage caused by cyclone 'Vardah in December last year.
Meanwhile, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) headed by party's working president M.K. Stalin staged protest at Chennai's Marina Beach, following which Stalin and other protesting MLAs were detained by police.
Earlier, Stalin had also met Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao post the floor test result to apprise him of the situation.
Earlier, the Congress staged a walk out from the Assembly, while Speaker P. Dhanapal ordered the assembly police to evict the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MLAs from the house as soon as the assembly resumed functioning after getting adjourned following an uproar over the secret ballot process.
"You tore my shirt and insulted me. I am doing my work abiding by the law," Speaker Dhanapal was quoted, as saying to the MLAs.
However, DMK working president M.K. Stalin alleged that his shirt was torn off when the assembly police forcefully evicted his party MLAs and the Speaker tore of his shirt himself and blamed the MLAs of the DMK for it.
"We were told that assembly will reconvene at 3 p.m., but at 2 p.m. police came and tried to forcefully evict us. My shirt was also torn," Stalin said.
The assembly was adjourned twice on Saturday, once at 1 p.m. and again at 3 p.m.
The Assembly was facing its first floor test in 30 years, and there was a debate over the ballot, with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the Congress and the Indian Union Muslim League expressing mixed views about the confidence vote.
Ahead of the crucial ' floor test', Panneerselvam appealed to AIADMK MLAs to vote against Palanisamy. "MLAs should be given time to hear the views of their constituency people. Time should be given till then," he said, during the assembly session.
Palanisamy took oath as Tamil Nadu's 13th Chief Minister on Thursday. A total of 31 other All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) MLAs were also sworn in.
