Sivakasi: An attempt by two women to set themselves ablaze marred the MGR birth centenary celebrations held at Sivakasi on Monday evening. Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and his cabinet colleagues saw the two women barging into the media gallery and pouring kerosene on themselves during the singing of the national anthem.
Police prevented them from self-immolation and whisked them away to the first aid centre. “Police forcibly took my husband from our house a few days ago and are torturing him in illegal custody. I came to Amma's function, seeking justice,” said Kanagakshmi (20) from Rajapalayam. Her mother-in-law Parvathi (50) was with her.
Earlier during the meeting, Mr Panneerselvam drew cheers from the crowd when he spoke. Party cadres gave him a rousing welcome when he came on to the dais earlier along with senior party functionaries.
Both Chief Minister Palaniswami and Panneerselvam attacked DMK working president M.K. Stalin and the sidelined AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran. “Stalin can address the media daily and speak against our government by telling hundreds of lies, but he can't destabilise our government,” said Palaniswami.
The Chief Minister listed out various welfare schemes implemented in Virudhunagar district in the last six years, in response to Stalin's repeated claims that government had done nothing for the welfare of people in the state.
He also took on Dhinkaran and narrated stories to prove his point.
Both Palaniswami and Panneerselvam recalled the sacrifices made by party founder M G Ramachandran and late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa to safeguard the party at the time of crisis.
