EPS warns ambulance drivers will become patients, alleges DMK sabotaging his rallies
A bizarre political confrontation has erupted in Tamil Nadu after AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) accused the ruling DMK government of deliberately disrupting his party's public meetings by deploying empty ambulances.
Vellore: Tamil Nadu's political landscape has been rocked by extraordinary allegations from AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami, who claims the ruling DMK government is systematically sabotaging his party's public meetings using empty ambulances. The explosive charge has triggered a bitter war of words between the opposition and ruling party, with both sides trading sharp accusations and threats.
"Ghost Ambulances" Target Opposition Rallies: EPS Sounds Alarm
AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami made startling revelations during his public address at Anaikattu bus stand in Vellore district. The former Chief Minister claimed his party has documented more than 30 instances where unmanned ambulances mysteriously appeared during AIADMK gatherings, deliberately disrupting the events. "This isn't coincidence - it's a calculated strategy by a desperate government," Palaniswami asserted before a charged crowd.
The opposition leader issued a stern warning that such tactics wouldn't be tolerated. "If we see another ambulance without patients disrupting our meetings, we'll make the driver the patient and send him back in that same ambulance," he declared, drawing both cheers and controversy. Palaniswami also raised serious questions about the lack of police protection for opposition events, suggesting the alleged ambulance disruptions could compromise public safety. The AIADMK leader announced plans to file formal complaints with police and election authorities about what he called "state-sponsored harassment."
DMK Counters: "Baseless Paranoia of a Sinking Party"
The ruling DMK swiftly dismissed Palaniswami's allegations as fantasy. Health Minister M. Subramanian mocked the claims, saying, "When you're scared, even a rope looks like a snake. EPS is seeing ghosts where none exist." The minister condemned what he called "thuggish language" from the former Chief Minister, particularly the threats against ambulance personnel. "This violent rhetoric shows how far the AIADMK has fallen from its once dignified position," Subramanian remarked.
The political duel quickly expanded beyond the ambulance controversy to encompass governance issues. While Palaniswami blasted the DMK government for failing to control rising prices of essential commodities, DMK leaders countered by listing welfare initiatives and accusing the previous AIADMK regime of stalling development projects. "Their price control claims are hollow - they left the state's finances in ruins," Subramanian retorted, setting the stage for an intensifying policy debate as local elections approach.