ஹெலிகாப்டரில் பறந்துகொண்டே ஆய்வு நாடகம் நடத்திய முதலமைச்சர் ‘எட்டிப்பார்க்காத’ பழனிசாமி, மத்திய அரசிடம் நிவாரணம் கேட்க டெல்லிக்குச் செல்வதற்கு...

DMK president M.K. Stalin criticized Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami for conducting an aloof aerial survey of cyclone-battered districts rather than engaging directly with distressed citizens on the ground. Stalin noted that surveying devastation from a helicopter insulated the state leadership from the harrowing reality experienced by rural families who lost their shelter, livestock, and agricultural livelihoods to Cyclone Gaja.

Stalin questioned the chief minister's decision to travel to New Delhi to seek central disaster assistance without first holding direct consultations with affected farmers, fishermen, trade unions, and grassroots civic organizations. He pointed out that an accurate memorandum of damages cannot be drafted from high-altitude observations or second-hand bureaucratic compilations. Genuine assessment requires walking through flooded fields, inspecting broken boats, and listening to the specific rehabilitation demands of agrarian workers and coastal communities.

Stalin asserted that the administration's superficial handling revealed a fundamental lack of empathy toward disaster victims. He urged the government to establish transparent district-level consultative panels involving all stakeholders to verify losses impartially, expedite relief disbursement, and formulate a realistic long-term reconstruction roadmap. He stressed that effective disaster management demands active field presence and compassionate public engagement.