Senior AIADMK leader D Jayakumar Wednesday said it will be Deepavali for Tamil Nadu the day MK Stalin-led DMK government is dismissed. Opposition AIADMK Wednesday held demonstrations at all district headquarters in the state seeking the removal of Senthil Balaji from the cabinet. The party also slammed the government on the issue of price rise, corruption, and ‘poor’ maintenance of law and order. ஜனநாயக விரோத விடியா திமுக அரசின் லஞ்ச முறைகேடுகள், விலைவாசி உயர்வு, சட்டம் ஒழுங்கு சீர்கேடு ஆகியவற்றை காக்கத் தவறிய நிர்வாகத் திறனற்ற செயலை கண்டித்து கூடல்நகரில் கொதித்தெழுந்து பெருந்திரளாக கூடியிருந்த மக்கள் கூட்டத்தின் கண்டன முழக்கம் விண்ணை முட்டியது…#ஒருங்கிணைந்த_மதுரை… pic.twitter.com/tQtnRoPrjr — Raj Satyen (@satyenaiadmk) June 21, 2023 Jayakumar led the protest at Valluvar Kottam in Chennai. Speaking at the protest event, Jayakumar said: “Climate is looking good here. Similarly, the political climate is also looking good. We have information that Governor (R N Ravi) will be visiting Delhi soon. Some good news is in the offing. The DMK government being dismissed would be that news. It will definitely happen. That day will be the real Deepavali for Tamil Nadu.” Jayakumar alleged there has been a rise in crime in the state in the two years since the DMK assumed power. He also claimed the regime is engaged in widespread corruption and said the people should remember that a DMK-led government was dismissed in the past for corruption. “The DMK has not brought any new welfare schemes for the public, they are sticking their label for all the projects that came up during the AIADMK government,” Jayakumar claimed. Former minister S P Velumani, who led the protest in Coimbatore, said the top leaders of the DMK are nervous because they fear if Balaji provides some information to the ED officials, then they will be in danger. Balaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a cash-for-job scam last week, was admitted to a private hospital after he complained of chest discomfort. He underwent bypass surgery at a private hospital in Chennai Wednesday and is being monitored in the postoperative cardiothoracic intensive care unit. Following the arrest of Balaji, Chief Minister M K Stalin sent his recommendation to the Governor over the reallocation of Balaji’s portfolio of electricity, prohibition and excise. Although the Governor agreed to the reallocation of the portfolio, he refused to accept the state government’s decision to let him continue in the cabinet. In a media release last week, Anandrao Vishnu Patil, principal secretary to the Governor, said Ravi had not agreed to Balaji continuing as a member of the council of ministers as he is facing criminal proceedings “for moral turpitude” and is in judicial custody. However, soon the government issued an order reiterating that Balaji will continue as minister without a portfolio.
