DMK hits back at Palaniswami over laptop scheme; cites CAG report, electoral setbacks of AIADMK

Chennai, Jan 5 Tamil Nadu Transport and Electricity Minister S.S. Sivasankar on Monday launched a sharp attack on AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, accusing him of spreading “political theatrics and falsehoods” over the State government’s flagship laptop distribution programme.

In a statement, Sivasankar said Chief Minister M.K. Stalin would inaugurate the 'World in Your Hands' scheme, under which 20 lakh college students will receive laptops, as part of the DMK government’s push to equip scholars to compete globally.

He claimed that Palaniswami’s criticism stemmed from “jealousy” over the popularity of the Dravidian Model government’s welfare initiatives.

Mocking the AIADMK leader’s recent speech in Salem city, Sivasankar said Palaniswami’s claims that the AIADMK would return to power were detached from political reality, especially after a string of electoral defeats since 2016.

He pointed out that while Palaniswami often describes the DMK as a “corporate entity”, the AIADMK itself had functioned like a “subordinate outfit” for years.

Referring to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the minister said the DMK-led alliance won all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu and secured the lead in 221 of the State’s 234 Assembly segments.

He questioned Palaniswami’s assertion that Salem remained an impregnable AIADMK stronghold, noting that the party failed to retain its dominance there in the parliamentary polls.

Sivasankar also accused Palaniswami of making “blatant lies” about laptop distribution during his tenure. Citing a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report tabled in the Assembly in April 2023, he said more than 60,000 laptops were procured through ELCOT in 2017–18, but only 8,791 were distributed. Due to inaction, nearly 55,000 laptops remained unused, their battery warranties expired, causing a loss of ₹68.71 crore, the report said.

Under the new scheme, students will receive laptops from global brands such as Dell, Acer and HP, equipped with Intel i3 or AMD Ryzen 3 processors, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD, Windows 11, Linux OS, MS Office 365 and a six-month AI software subscription.

Taking a swipe at the Opposition leader’s remarks on alliances, Sivasankar noted that when Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed a rally in Pudukottai, he did not even mention Palaniswami’s name.

“This silence itself exposes the hollowness of claims about leadership,” the minister said, adding that the DMK’s sustained public support was what continued to unsettle the AIADMK leadership.

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