TN Opposition Leader Palaniswami Slams Govt For Not Shutting TASMAC Liquor Shops Amid COVID Surge

Recalling the protest staged by DMK during first COVID-19 wave, Palaniswami asked, why was Stalin not announcing the closure of liquor shops now even as the COVID-19 cases are increasing in the state.

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami slammed Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin for allegedly shying away from shutting down Tamil Nadu State Marketing Cooperation (TASMAC) liquor shops despite the spike in novel coronavirus cases in the state. 

After walking out of the Assembly, Palaniswami said, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian has accepted that the third wave has arrived in the state but why is the government still shying away from shutting the TASMAC shops, according to IANS. 

The AIADMK leader recalling the protest conducted by DMK during the first wave of COVID-19 demanding to shut TASMAC shops said, Stalin while he was the Opposition leader staged a protest in front of his house with a black badge demanding to close the TASMAC shops. 

However, why is Stalin not announcing to close the liquor shops now even as the COVID-19 cases are increasing in the state, he asked. 

Further, the AIADMK leader said, the pongal hampers distributed at the ration shops were incomplete and many kits did not have some of 21 items. The standard of the grocery items was also poor, he said. 

Meanwhile, former AIADMK General Secretary VK Sasikala in a statement said, the state government has not even provided Rs 1,000 to cardholders during Pongal. Hence, she said the state government should at least ensure that all the grocery items are included in the hampers.