AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami strongly criticized the ruling DMK government, accusing it of deliberately deploying empty ambulances to disrupt his political meetings and campaign events. According to him, this tactic was being repeatedly used to interrupt AIADMK gatherings and mislead the public. During one of his campaign events in the Anaicut region of Vellore district, an ambulance attempted to pass through the large crowd assembled for his speech. Though space was cleared to let the vehicle move, Palaniswami immediately instructed his party workers to inspect whether any patients were inside.
Upon finding only the driver and a technician in the ambulance, he accused the DMK of engaging in “cheap politics” and deliberately creating obstructions to his campaign. He even went so far as to issue a stern warning, threatening that if empty ambulances continued to be routed through his meetings, then the drivers themselves would risk becoming “patients” who would need to be carried to hospitals.
The ambulance driver, identified as Surendar, denied the allegations and explained his version of the incident. He clarified that he had been assigned to attend to a patient but was delayed at the Anaicut police station. With no alternative route available and the event in progress, he had no choice but to drive through the crowd to continue his duty. Surendar recalled that while most people gave way to the vehicle, tensions escalated when AIADMK cadres surrounded him and the medical staff accompanying him.
Their shirts were pulled, their ID cards were torn, and they faced aggressive questioning about why no patient was inside the ambulance. He emphasized that they were only performing their 24-hour emergency service and had no intention of deliberately disrupting the meeting. According to him, it was the urgency of the situation that forced them through the crowd, not political motives. Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramaniam firmly defended the 108 ambulance services and rejected Palaniswami’s accusations. He described the former chief minister’s conduct as highly inappropriate and disrespectful toward medical professionals who dedicate themselves to saving lives.
Subramaniam pointed out that Tamil Nadu operates 1,330 ambulances under the 108 emergency network, serving both rural and urban regions. These ambulances, he said, are widely appreciated for their efficiency and reliability in delivering emergency care. He argued that Palaniswami was wrong to blame the service when his campaign venues happened to coincide with ambulance routes on main roads. According to the Health Minister, demanding details of drivers and threatening staff was unbecoming of a leader who once held the chief minister’s position. He stressed that such behaviour not only undermines the dignity of healthcare workers but also disrespects a life-saving service that serves people across the state without bias.
