A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it was time to drive the DMK away from Tamil Nadu, DMK president and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Thursday, February 29, 2024 said the PM had been repeatedly visiting Tamil Nadu, but the fear of defeat could be seen on his face.
“The Prime Minister’s speech claiming to crush and destroy the DMK, has brought disrepute to the post he holds. It is in the history of Tamil Nadu as to what happened to those who started to crush and destroy the DMK,” Mr. Stalin said in his letter to his party cadre.
The DMK president said he would, however, not say that the BJP would not live on. “Our Kalaignar [late DMK leader Karunanidhi] did not groom us like that. The BJP has the right to remain in the democratic set up as a political party. Let me wish the BJP to become a good Opposition, as they failed as a ruling party,” he stated.
Taking exception to Mr. Modi’s contention that the DMK government was obstructing Central government schemes in T.N., Mr. Stalin asked: “Are we blocking them from opening the AIIMS hospital [in Madurai]? Are we blocking the [Chennai] Metro rail projects?”
Mr. Stalin said his party opposed the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), contending that it was an altar crushing the dreams of medical education of the poor. “We will, of course, oppose it.” He asserted his party would oppose the National Education Policy [NEP] 2020, which, he said, was an “obstruction”.
Referring to his party’s opposition to the three farm laws (since withdrawn) which went against farmers as well as its opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) “that went against minorities and Sri Lankan Tamils,” Mr. Stalin said the DMK was being open about the issues they opposed.
“[Prime Minister] Modi, who did not give the funds due to a State government and prevented the State from taking loans and even failed to provide flood relief by running an unkind government, cannot find fault with the DMK,” Mr. Stalin asserted.
Calling upon his party cadre to take the list of the BJP’s “conspiracies” to the people of Tamil Nadu, Mr. Stalin said: “People are aware. We only have a duty to remind them. We have to win all 40 seats in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry [in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections],” he said.
The disturbances to political parties of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc in other States by the BJP government only meant that their (the Opposition’s) victory was almost certain in the national scenario, he said. He called upon his party cadre to work to ensure a change in the Union government. That would be his “birthday gift,” he said.
Referring to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, he said a democratic duty was awaiting the party’s cadres.. “The I.N.D.I.A. bloc should win so that fascism can be defeated and a full stop can be put to communal politics.” Mr. Stalin called upon his party cadre to gear up for the “democratic war” in which the BJP government ruling the Union should be pulled down from power.
A party release said Mr. Stalin would pay floral tributes at the memorials of late DMK leaders and former Chief Ministers C.N. Annadurai and M. Karunanidhi on his birthday on March 1.
He would also pay floral tributes at the memorial of late Dravidar Kazhagam founder ‘Periyar’ E.V. Ramasamy. He would visit the party head office around 9 am to meet his visitors.
Published - February 29, 2024 03:28 pm IST
