TN most peaceful state in India: CM Palaniswami

Chief Minister K Palaniswami has hit out at Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan over his remarks that Tamil Nadu was turning out to be a "training centre" for extremists, saying the state was the "most peaceful" in the country. A few days back Radhakrishnan had alleged, "Tamil Nadu is no longer the peaceful state ("amaidhi poonga")... Naxalites, Maoists, Tamil extremists and Islamic terrorists have joined hands against the administration, which was evident during the jallikkattu agitation last year." Palaniswami said, "It is a blatant lie... In the present situation, Tamil Nadu is the most peaceful state in India and law and order situation is also very good." Both the BJP-led centre and AIADMK-led state government were functioning to serve the people and working jointly for their benefit, he told reporters here last night, adding the ideology of both the parties was completely different. On Deputy Chief Minister O Paneerselvam's comment that he joined hands with him (Palaniswami) following an advise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the AIADMK leader said, "I do not know." The chief minister said Paneerselvam had taken up pains for the cause of the party and now both of them were taking it up on the path of growth and blamed the media for "blowing the issue out of proportion". On the proposed entry of film stars Rajinikanth and Kamal Hasan in politics, Palaniswami said it would not have any impact on the AIADMK and nobody can defeat the party. Blaming the DMK for the prolonged dispute on Cauvery water issue, the chief minister said the party had not renewed the 1974 agreement which was the root cause for the problem. He claimed that holding the AIADMK responsible for the problem as being done by DMK's working president M K Stalin was a blatant lie. It was the case filed by late chief minister J Jayalalithaa which resulted in Tamil Nadu getting its due share of water, Palaniswami claimed, adding the DMK had done nothing for the benefit of the state when it in power at the Centre in alliance with the Congress. The Chief Minister also expressed hope that the Centre would constitute the Cauvery Management Board within six weeks as directed by the Supreme Court in its verdict.