Udhayanidhi Stalin agrees to debate with EPS on naming government projects

The ongoing verbal spat over the naming of Tamil Nadu government schemes after the late Kalaignar Karunanidhi took a new turn on Monday, November 11, as Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin responded to Opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami’s (EPS) challenge for a debate.
EPS had earlier criticised Chief Minister MK Stalin, claiming that non-beneficiary schemes, such as those carrying the name of Stalin’s late father, Kalaignar Karunanidhi, were being implemented without delivering tangible benefits to the public.
In a fiery retort, Chief Minister Stalin questioned EPS’s own credentials, asking whether it was more appropriate to honour a man who spent 80 years working for the Tamil cause or someone who “crawled like a cockroach” for power. Stalin further claimed that EPS lacked any real political skill.
EPS did not back down, responding that he had earned the right to lead and that Stalin had only become the chief minister due to his father’s legacy. He made a similar comment about Udhayanidhi Stalin, saying his rise was only because of his grandfather. EPS then challenged Stalin to a debate, particularly focusing on the many pending beneficiary schemes while non-beneficiary schemes named after Karunanidhi continued to be pushed forward.
Udhayanidhi Stalin accepted EPS’s challenge, stating that he was ready to engage in the debate. “If they call me, I’ll go. Whose name do you think should be kept? Criticism will keep coming but we can only use the apt name,” Udhayanidhi said, suggesting that the choice of names for the schemes was justified.
Udhayanidhi’s intervention was met with a strong response from the Opposition, particularly from Deputy Opposition leader RB Udhayakumar, who questioned the Deputy Chief Minister’s maturity. He suggested that Udhayanidhi, who is relatively new to politics, lacked the experience and knowledge required to take on a seasoned leader like EPS.
“Edappadi called for the debate for which the Chief Minister has not replied but his son Udhayanidhi has volunteered. You still have not attained the capacity, experience or knowledge to call Edappadi Palanisamy for a debate,” Udhayakumar stated, stressing that the real challenge was not in debating but in protecting the welfare of the people.