Palaniswami accuses DMK of ignoring Women’s safety, passing off AIADMK plans as its own

Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Leader of Opposition and AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister M.K. Stalin during the party’s women’s conference in Kallakurichi on Monday. He alleged that sexual assaults were occurring under the DMK regime and accused Stalin of taking credit for development plans originally proposed by the AIADMK .

“The AIADMK alliance will win big in the 2026 elections. Stalin, who recently visited Kallakurichi, left after lying. The plans being unveiled now were originally brought by the AIADMK. Sexual assaults are happening under this regime,” Palaniswami said.

His remarks came days after Stalin inaugurated and launched development projects worth over Rs 1,700 crore in Kallakurichi district. The AIADMK leader accused the DMK of misrepresenting the party’s initiatives and highlighted alleged lapses in governance during Stalin’s tenure.

The Chief Minister, meanwhile, has defended his administration’s record, asserting that Tamil Nadu has progressed under the Dravidian model of governance , with a focus on social justice, women’s empowerment, youth opportunities, and infrastructure development. Stalin criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and highlighted initiatives like providing laptops with AI subscriptions to 20 lakh students , arguing that the AIADMK had failed to deliver comparable growth during its decade in power.

“Despite attempts by the Union government to impede our progress, Tamil Nadu has risen by leaps and bounds. There are those who refuse to acknowledge the state’s achievements, but the people will judge the record,” Stalin said.

The exchange sets the tone for an increasingly aggressive campaign ahead of the 2026 state elections , with the opposition keen to highlight governance failures while the ruling DMK focuses on projecting development and social welfare achievements.