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Madras HC has not pronounced verdict on me, I have nothing to fear, says EPS

He had allowed the DVAC to enquire into the DMK accusations and is now prepared to face the cases legally.

Chennai: Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami mounted a scathing attack on Opposition DMK for attempting to besmear his government by heaping up allegations and said the court has not pronounced him as guilty.

He will not be cowed down by unfounded accusations but would face the cases legally, he asserted. “Like law minister (C. Ve. Shanmugam) has said, we are prepared to face the cases legally. Madiyil ganamillai, vazhiyil bayamaillai, (nothing to hide, so (I have) nothing to fear about),” Mr Palaniswami said quoting a Tamil proverb, on Wednesday evening. Choosing his party’s 47th founding day celebrations at Ulundurpetto launch a tirade on the DMK, he said the opposition party was afraid of facing cases as it had “something to hide.”

This was evident as it could not face the case pertaining to the scam in constructing the new Secretariat complex. "But I am not afraid and I have nothing to hide," Mr Palaniswami who is AIADMK's joint coordinator, said.

On Friday last, the Madras high court had ordered a CBI probe into the DMK's allegations of corruption involving the CM in awarding government road contracts.

He had allowed the DVAC to enquire into the DMK accusations and is now prepared to face the cases legally. "Even we know to initiate cases. But after the demise of Amma (late CM J. Jayalalithaa) we started devoting our attention only on development works," Mr Palaniswami said and warned that the DMK would face the consequences for needlessly provoking the AIADMK.

Unlike the DMK which is a dynastic party, more of a company in nature, the AIADMK is very democratic and even an ordinary cadre in the party could become a MLA, Minister or Chief Minister. "In the DMK after Karunanidhi, M. K. Stalin took up the reins and he will be succeeded by his son Udayanidhi," the CM said and added that the former president of DMK never trusted Mr. Stalin and hence Mr. Stalin was made only the working president of the party and not the president.

"When Karunanidhi could not trust you in his life time, how can Tamil Nadu accept your leadership? But in the AIADMK, Amma had made OPS (O. Panneerselvam, Deputy CM now) as Chief Minister in her lifetime," he said.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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