On a day the DMK coronated MK Stalin as its president, the newly elected party chief set all speculation of alliance with the BJP to rest and declared on Tuesday that his top priority was to throw out the “communal” Government at the Centre led by Narendra Modi.
“The communal Government at the Centre led by Narendra Modi and Amit Shah is a danger to the country. Our top priority is to get rid of this Government which has sabotaged federalism and is trying to saffronise India’s secular fabric,” declared the 65-year-old DMK president.
He was addressing the delegates of the DMK general council, which had earlier unanimously elected him the party president. The post of party president fell vacant following the demise of 95-year-old M Karunanidhi, Stalin’s father, on August 7.
The newly elected president was quite blunt in attacking the BJP. “This Hindutva party is trying to impose Hindi on non-Hindi speaking States which is a proof of its arrogance. The BJP-led Government is working for destroying the concept of social justice, socialism and inclusivity espoused by EV Ramasamy Naicker, Annadurai and my father Karunanidhi,” charged Stalin.
He also alleged that the Narendra Modi Government was trying to derail the judicial system of the country.
“We should throw out this Government and teach Modi and Shah a lesson,” thundered Stalin much to the delight of the audience which included all office bearers of the DMK..
The Tamil Nadu Government led by Edappady Palaniswamy too came under severe attack from Stalin. “This is a Government of robbers and dacoits. They have institutionalised corruption. We have to liberate Tamil Nadu from these robbers and dacoits,” said the DMK chief.
Earlier K Anbazhagan, the 96-year-old general secretary of the party announced that Stalin has been unanimously elected as the party president as there were no other contenders for the past. He also declared that Durai Murugan, the principal secretary of the party has been elected unanimously as the treasurer.
The General Council in a unanimous resolution asked the BJP-led Government at the Centre to bestow Bharat Ratna, India’s top civilian award to Karunanidhi. “Kalaignar (as Karunanidhi is addressed by party cadre) has worked with all Prime Ministers in the country and has played a major role in national politics. He was the leader who played the most crucial rule in saving the country from the clutches of communal parties by installing a secular Government at the Centre,” said Tiruchi Shiva who introduced the resolution.
Interestingly, the UPA Government in which the DMK was the crucial constituent did not heed to the requests by party seniors for honouring Karunanidhi with Bharat Ratna.
Stalin was greeted by his step-sister Kanimozhi, Karunanidhi’s grand nephew Dayanidhi Maran and close confidante A Raja, former Union Minister for Telecommunications.
Subramanian Swamy, senior BJP leader and Member of Parliament, who greeted Stalin on his election as party chief also, congratulated the latter for making it clear that the DMK would not have any truck with the BJP. “It is good that he has taken such a decision. What Tamil Nadu needs urgently is a sense of nationalism which the DMK would not be able to provide. The DMK is steadfast in its ties with the Congress. The party is against the cultural heritages of the country and is bent on destroying and demolishing Ram Sethu. Hence it is impossible for the BJP to sail with the Dravidian party which is anti-India,” said Swamy.