AIADMK general secretary and Leader of the Opposition, Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS), has taken a swipe at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin for attending the recent NITI Aayog meeting in New Delhi. Palaniswami suggested that Stalin’s participation, after having boycotted previous meetings, may be motivated by personal or familial interests rather than matters of state governance.

Highlighting what he described as an inconsistent stance, Palaniswami said, “The same Chief Minister who earlier claimed to boycott NITI Aayog meetings as a protest against the Centre’s negligence toward Tamil Nadu is now attending it without clear explanation.”

He further alleged that the timing of Stalin’s visit appeared suspicious, hinting that the Chief Minister prioritized personal reasons over the needs of the people. “When the people of Tamil Nadu needed him, he was absent. Now suddenly he rushes to Delhi, possibly for personal commitments,” EPS remarked.

This criticism comes as a rebuttal to MK Stalin’s earlier jibe at Palaniswami, in which the DMK chief mocked EPS for leaving the Tamil Nadu Assembly mid-session to travel to Delhi. Stalin had accused him of skipping a critical discussion on the Waqf Amendment Bill to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and even ridiculed the AIADMK’s confusion in his absence.

As political tensions rise in Tamil Nadu, both leaders continue to trade barbs over each other’s Delhi visits, each questioning the other's intentions and accountability.