The Namukku Naame (We for ourselves) outreach programme of MK Stalin, the DMK treasurer, got enlivened on Sunday with his waxing eloquence on senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, a bête noir of the Dravida politicians.
While addressing the conference of legal professionals at Madurai on Sunday, Stalin surprised all by praising Swamy to the hilt. “It was Dr Subramanian Swamy who initiated the disproportionate wealth case against AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa in 1996. His perseverance succeeded with the conviction of Jayalalithaa by the special court in September 2014,” said Stalin. Swamy had won the 1998 lok Sabha election from Madurai.
He said though Jayalalithaa got acquitted in the case from the Karnataka High Court, the BJP leader is pursuing the case. “He is confident that the appeal filed against the Karnataka High Court verdict by the Government of Karnataka in the Supreme Court would see that Dharma prevails and justice is done,” said the DMK’s second-in-command. Stalin said that though he does not agree with Swamy’s politics, he makes it a point to read the statements issued by the BJP leader.
This is the first time in the recent past a DMK leader is praising Swamy. The BJP leader used to be a subject of criticism in all the Dravida meetings due to his stance on various issues like Sri lankan Tamil issue and the family politics of the DMK. last year Stalin had personally called on Swamy to invite the BJP leader for a marriage in the Karunanidhi family.