Tirupattur (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 8 (ANI): Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Deputy General Secretary Kanimozhi on Wednesday described the ongoing Jolarpet Assembly bye-election as 'an election to safeguard the self-respect of Tamil Nadu,' asserting that the contest transcends a mere battle between political parties.

Addressing a gathering at Pudupettai Sandhaimedu near Natrampalli in Tirupattur district, Kanimozhi, who is also a Member of Parliament, campaigned in support of DMK candidate Kavitha. She interacted with the public and sought votes for the party.

Speaking against opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami, Kanimozhi alleged, 'He meets the public only during elections and remains absent for the rest of the five-year term. His routine involves travelling from Edappadi to Chennai, then to Delhi to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and returning, without engaging meaningfully with the people of Tamil Nadu.'

Quoting Chief Minister MK Stalin, she said, 'This election is not merely between political parties but between Tamil Nadu and forces that oppose its interests. It is an election to uphold the dignity of the state, to ensure that Tamil Nadu is not made to bow its head, and to secure the future of the Tamil people.'

Kanimozhi also criticised the Union government over financial allocations, alleging, 'Funds due to Tamil Nadu, amounting to Rs 3,600 crore for education, have been withheld, while states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh are being provided financial support. Conditions are being imposed linking funding to the promotion of Hindi.' She added that funds for water-related projects in the state are also inadequate.

Highlighting language concerns, she referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks about not knowing Tamil and said, 'While there are many people willing to teach Tamil, the Union government has failed to contribute to the growth of the language or support Tamil students, even as schemes are often named only in Hindi. Many central government schemes are named in Hindi, making them less accessible to non-Hindi speakers. Take the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, for example; people often do not understand the meaning of such names.'

Targeting Palaniswami, she added, 'He went back on his earlier statement of not aligning with the BJP. The public will teach him a lesson in this election.'

She further highlighted the DMK government's welfare measures, saying, 'The free electricity scheme for farmers was originally introduced by former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. The current Chief Minister has announced the provision of new electric motors for farmers without installing electricity meters.' She also noted that college students currently receive financial assistance of Rs 1,000, which will be increased to Rs 1,500 if the DMK returns to power.

On the education front, she added, 'The laptop scheme, which was discontinued during the previous regime, has been revived by the current government. Three-and-a-half million students will receive laptops upon the DMK returning to power.'

Kanimozhi urged voters to support DMK candidate Kavitha in Jolarpet and rally behind the Rising Sun symbol.

Tamil Nadu will go to the polls in a single phase on April 23, with counting scheduled for May 4. (ANI)