The AIADMK has never done double-dealing with regard to the welfare of minorities, said Edappadi K. Palaniswami, party co-coordinator and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, on Thursday.
Following the footsteps of former Chief Ministers M.G. Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa, the party continued to remain as a “custodian of the minorities”. “We have been demonstrating this in deeds and not merely remaining as masters of rhetoric,” Mr. Palaniswami said at an “iftaar” event organised by the party.
He recalled how his party, while in power, had supported the candidature of A.P.J. Abdul Kalam for the post of President; had a former civil servant, Yasmin Ahmed, appointed the first Muslim chairperson of the Tamil Nadu Public Services Commission and got an allotment of one acre of land in Pallavaram, near Chennai, for the construction of a building meant for the stay of Haj pilgrims. He went on to narrate a number of other measures carried out by the AIADMK government for the benefit of the community.
Party coordinator O. Panneerselvam gave an account of the steps taken by Jayalalithaa as Chief Minister for the welfare of Muslims and said his party would continue to be a defender of the community. Leaders of the AIADMK’s allies also attended the event.
