Madurai Temple Power Cut Sparks Row as Leaders Criticize Government Over Power and Safety

Power Failures and Criticism

AIADMK leader Palaniswami accused the government of creating a fake power shortage to buy electricity at 37.50 rupees per unit, which wastes public money. Speaking in Madurai, he also claimed that Vijay's government fails to find criminals, protect jailed lawbreakers, or keep women and people safe, adding that the chief minister acts like an employee on leave. During his visit to the Meenakshi Amman temple, Palaniswami experienced a sudden power cut and said this proves the severe power shortage, while temple officials stated that power cuts happen when switching lines.

Vice President Visit Incident

According to Vikatan, Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan also faced two consecutive power outages while meeting reporters after visiting the same Meenakshi Amman temple on October 30. Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister Nirmal Kumar explained on X that the temple ran on generator power from 3:30 PM for the visit, and an internal fault trip in the temple control room caused a brief outage while the Vice President spoke near the east tower gate before power returned within two minutes.

Actor-turned-Politician Comments

Palaniswami noted that India is a democratic country where anyone can start a political party, and stated that just as a jackpot hit Vijay, actor Dhanush's fans believe a jackpot will hit him too.

Context

Power outages at prominent public venues often draw intense political debate over infrastructure management and energy supply. Political figures frequently use such incidents to highlight broader governance concerns.