Edappadi K. Palaniswami allied with BJP without consulting party: Mutharasan

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami aligned with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) without consulting his party, prompting members to leave the party, alleged the State secretary of the Communist Party of India, R. Mutharasan, on Wednesday.

Mr. Mutharasan told journalists in Salem that BJP had pressured Mr. Palaniswami into joining hands with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. “In an attempt to strengthen his party’s unity, Mr. Palaniswami is trying to create anger among his supporters by alleging that Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi leader Thol. Thirumavalavan spoke ill of former leaders M.G. Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa,” he claimed .

“He (Mr. Palaniswami) is targeting Mr. Thirumavalavan to divert the anger of the AIADMK cadre away from himself,” he added.

Mr. Palaniswami and other AIADMK functionaries are running a “low-level campaign” against Mr. Thirumavalavan on social media and the CPI has condemned it, he said.

On the arrest of Madurai Mayor’s husband in a property tax scam, Mr. Mutharasan said action must be taken against all those found guilty and, if the Mayor’s role was proven, the government should act without hesitation.

Criticising the Election Commission, he alleged it had lost its independence and become subservient to the BJP, posing a threat to democracy. Citing the deletion of 65 lakh voters, he claimed names of BJP supporters were retained while opponents were removed.

He accused the Union government of forcing Aadhaar for all services despite the Supreme Court ruling that such compulsion was unacceptable. Voter ID and ration cards could be easily forged, a fact acknowledged by the court. India was facing “gradual democratic erosion” and could soon see BJP critics stripped of citizenship. He urged the public to prepare for a “second freedom struggle.”

Mr. Mutharasan added that thousands of crores lent to fraud-hit companies were written off as non-performing assets, while ordinary citizens struggled to secure and repay small loans. Farmers unable to repay debts were ending their lives, but major defaulters faced no action, he alleged.

On actor Mansoor Ali Khan’s comment that North Indian migrants should not be included in Tamil Nadu’s voter rolls, the CPI leader said large-scale, politically motivated additions and deletions were under way, and the party opposed such practices.