‘Lock up’ party office: DMK jabs Palaniswami for Delhi alliance talks

Chennai: The ruling DMK on Friday took a swipe at AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami for holding seat-sharing talks in Delhi with the BJP, indicating it was unprecedented as the opposition party was leading the NDA in Tamil Nadu.

In a sarcastic tone, DMK leader and state minister KN Nehru asked the AIADMK to lock its headquarters here, wondering how the Tamil Nadu-based party leading the coalition could have the seat-sharing talks in the national capital.

Similar to investigating agencies sending summons, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has invited Palaniswami for seat-sharing talks, Nehru alleged about Palaniswami’s meeting with the BJP leader.

Meanwhile, TN BJP unit Chief Nainar Nagenthran hit back at the DMK over seat-sharing saying, “What is wrong in that.”

In a statement, Nehru. The DMK principal secretary said, “if AIADMK is leading the NDA in Tamil Nadu, then seat-sharing talks should have taken place at its headquarters in Chennai. But, Palaniswami is holding talks at Amit Shah’s residence.”

“Not even once have seat-sharing talks been held at the office of the party that is supposed to lead the alliance. Neither have the discussions happened at the Chennai residence of Palaniswami.”

Nehru questioned whether the meeting could not be held at the AIADMK headquarters at Royapettah built by its late founder M G Ramachandran.

In a swipe at Palaniswami, he said: “You may lock the party headquarters in Avvai Shanmugham Salai in Royapettah until the elections are over.”