Coimbatore buzzed with political heat as Gautami, the prominent actress and AIADMK supporter, took the stage at a Women’s Day rally to expose what she called the stark failures of MK Stalin’s DMK government in safeguarding Tamil Nadu’s women.
Her address painted a vivid picture of contrast: the golden days under J Jayalalithaa, when women-centric programs transformed lives, versus today’s scenario where protection feels like an afterthought. ‘Jayalalithaa dedicated her life to empowering us,’ Gautami said, listing initiatives that boosted education, health, and financial independence.
Under Stalin, however, women are reduced to electoral pawns, she alleged. Safety remains elusive amid rising crimes, with policies lacking the empathy women deserve. Gautami hailed Palaniswami’s relentless advocacy during his tenure, fighting for 28 months to uphold women’s honors.
Welfare schemes inherited from AIADMK have been sabotaged, she asserted—from stalling progress on key programs to the opportunistic relaunch of the student laptop distribution timed suspiciously close to elections. ‘This isn’t care; it’s campaign tactics,’ she quipped.
Turning to recent tragedies, Gautami blasted Kanimozhi’s remarks on the Vilathikulam horror as callous, demanding leaders show up for grieving families. Why the selective outrage on other issues but silence here? she probed.
The drug epidemic ravaging the state drew her sharpest ire, with the government accused of inaction that endangers youth. In electoral forecasts, Gautami sees DMK versus AIADMK as the real showdown, sidelining smaller players.