Former MP and MDMK general secretary Vaiko on Saturday alleged that DMK treasurer M.K. Stalin was attempting to break his party.
Commenting on the migration of several senior leaders to the DMK, Mr. Vaiko said such attempts would not succeed, as the MDMK was a party of cadres and not leaders.
Speaking to reporters here, Mr. Vaiko said never in the history of the MDMK has it joined hands with the DMK in an Assembly election. Even during the 1999 Lok Sabha polls, it was the DMK that joined the NDA, of which the MDMK was already a part.
“On the one hand, they were behaving as though they were seeking my friendship. On the other, they were trying to poach my district secretaries,” he claimed. He made it clear that there was no invitation for an alliance from the DMK.
Countering allegations that he had told his partymen three months ago that there would be an electoral pact with the DMK, he said he had only told them that he would take a decision on alliances just before the polls.
In the meantime, the People’s Welfare Front began to take shape and he received an invitation to join it. When he put this before the party functionaries, a majority of them were jubilant. “Views of the partymen were indeed elicited,” he said.
However, some had a view that joining hands with the VCK may alienate large sections of other community voters. “I countered this by presenting the case of Puthia Tamilagam-AIADMK alliance, which won big in 2011,” he said.
Mr. Vaiko said the DMK and the AIADMK were fully responsible for the weakening of the Dravidian movement. “By joining hands with them, I do not want to share part of the blame for destroying this great movement,” he said and added that he would not criticise those who have left the MDMK.
On MMK leader M.H. Jawahirullah's remark that he had announced a political front with the PWF without discussion, Mr. Vaiko said he had made it clear even during the Tirupur conference last week that the MMK was yet to decide. “I had requested them to consider the option and make a good decision,” he clarified.
Old allegation
On the charge that he was forming a third front to help the AIADMK by splitting anti-incumbency votes, he said this was an age-old allegation that DMK president M. Karunanidhi made at the MDMK every time he refused to ally with his party. “I have taken the right decision given the political situation. People are expecting a change,” he pointed out.
On the Sri Lankan Tamils and Mullaperiyar issues, Mr. Vaiko alleged that Mr. Karunanidhi had betrayed the Tamil Nadu people. “For the sake of continuing in the Union Cabinet, they remained silent when India gave military support to Sri Lanka. Had they protested strongly, the Mullavaikal massacre would not have occurred,” he said.
