AIADMK promises to make Tamil Nadu drug-free state

COIMBATORE: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said on Saturday night that his party would come to power in the 2026 assembly election and would make Tamil Nadu a drug-free state.

Edappadi Palaniswami conducted a roadshow from the Avinashi Road near Fun Republic Mall to GV Residential area. Later, while addressing the party cadres, Palaniswami accused the DMK govt of failing to control drugs in the last four years.

"Many youths were addicted to drugs, and youths who consumed drugs were involved in murders or assaults with deadly weapons. The DMK govt did not bother about the drugs and how it affected a generation. The law and order situation worsened in the last four years. After the AIADMK comes to power in 2026, the state will be ruled by the law, and the law and order situation will be brought under control," said Edappadi Palaniswami.

EPS accused the DMK govt of failing to implement the metro rail project in Coimbatore city. "Work on three rail overbridges were halted in the last four years. The DMK did not bother about the people of the state. The expansion of Coimbatore International Airport was halted, and the industrial sectors were also badly affected. The DMK govt did not implement any schemes for Coimbatore district. During the previous regime, the AIADMK implemented various projects, and these projects were in the completion stage. Now, DMK is pasting its stickers on the project and claiming it completed successfully," said Edappadi Palaniswami.

Later, EPS travelled to Sulur, where he addressed the thousands of cadres who thronged to welcome him. He said the AIADMK govt would implement special drinking water projects exclusively for Sulur constituency people in the future.

Earlier, he distributed cricket kits to various cricket teams at a hotel in the city. Former minister S P Velumani requested Palaniswami to allot two cricket stadiums with international quality for Coimbatore city after AIADMK comes to power in 2026. He added that AIADMK had started a sports wing across the state, and youths should join it. "The youths would get state govt jobs based on their sports performance in the future," said Velumani.

Later, Palaniswami interacted with the farmers and representatives of various industrial associations. The representatives said that the MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) sectors were badly affected by GST, and the AIADMK should constitute an exclusive committee to deal with the GST issues with the union govt. Edappadi Palaniswami replied to them that AIADMK does not have any MPs in parliament. "We don't have any power to talk in parliament. However, we would bring the issue to the knowledge of the Union ministers," said Edappadi Palaniswami.

He accused the DMK, stating that the DMK has 39 MPs in the state, and it is their duty to bring the MSMEs issue to parliament. But the DMK failed to pressure the union govt, and the AIADMK would pressure the Union govt to sort out the issue. He also added that the GST-related issue would be brought to the knowledge of the Union finance minister.