Rattled by the huge turnout for the meetings addressed by Anbumani Ramadoss, the PMK’s chief ministerial candidate who swears by prohibition if voted to power, the DMK too declared on Monday that it would bring in total prohibition if voted to power in next year’s Assembly election.
Addressing an anti-liquor rally organised by the party at a Chennai suburb as part of its Statewide agitation demanding total prohibition in Tamil Nadu, MK Stalin, son of party chief M Karunanidhi, declared that the first action of his party, if elected to power, would be to declare Tamil Nadu free of liquor. “I would like to stress this and make it categorical. The moment DMK comes to power in Tamil Nadu, as a first task we will implement prohibition, we will do it,” declared Stalin. But he did not mention anything about the fact that it was his father Karunanidhi, who as the Chief Minister of the State overturned the prohibition in 1971 much to the anguish of the people.
Stalin, the chosen heir of Karunanidhi blamed the AIADMK Government for opening up liquor outlets in every nook and corner of Tamil Nadu. The 62-year-old president of the DMK youth wing also drew the attention of the people to party chief Karunanidhi’s declaration last month that steps would be taken to implement prohibition if his party wins general elections next year. “He (Karunanidhi) will utter only what he is going to do and it will happen (implementing prohibition), and in front of you I would like to vow that it will be done,” thundered Stalin.
The death of Sasi Perumal, a Gandhian who was campaigning for prohibition in Tamil Nadu has given the Opposition an issue to embarrass the AIADMK Government led by Jayalalithaa. The entire Opposition is clamouring for total prohibition in the State though perception on the issue varies from party to party.
Saturday saw PMK’s Chief Ministerial candidate Anbumani Ramadoss declaring that the Sri lankan Tamil issue has lost its sheen in Tamil Nadu and the next election would be fought on the issue of prohibition.