Transport Minister S.S. Sivasankar on Tuesday said former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami had organised protests against the hike in property tax and was levelling allegations against the DMK government only to retain his control over the AIADMK.
“Internal squabbling is growing in the AIADMK. There are reports that former Minister S.P. Velumani is adopting a new strategy in the party. Former Chief Minister O. Panneeselvam has plans to meet Home Minister Amit Shah. He [Mr Palaniswami] organises protests only to retain his position,” he claimed.
Talking to reporters, he said it was the AIADMK regime led by Mr Palaniswami and earlier by Mr Panneerselvam, which implemented proposals kept in abeyance by their late leader and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.
“Property tax was hiked during the AIADMK rule. They joined the UDAY scheme and it resulted in a hike in electricity tariff. Now Mr Palaniswami has sought to project as if the hike in property tax was introduced by the DMK government,” he said.
The Minister said the AIADMK government in 2018 increased the property tax and withdrew the hike when it was under compulsion to conduct the elections to the local bodies. “When the party lost the elections, Municipal Administration Minister S.P. Velumani claimed that the hike had been temporarily withdrawn,” Mr Sivasankar said.
Published – October 09, 2024 12:00 am IST