Accusing the DMK of wavering in its position on all major issues such as Nuclear Deal, trade union rights and state autonomy, the CPI(M) on Thursday said the Dravidian party, once a champion of state autonomy, had been reduced to the level of pleading the Centre with petitions.
“The Congress-led UPA government is taking away the rights of the state government and the DMK is pleading with petitions,” CPI(M) state secretary G. Ramakrishnan said, reacting to Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi’s remarks that the communist parties had no policy other than changing their stand frequently.
“The communists have never compromised their stand on issues such as anti-imperialism, secularism, rights of the state governments and protection of poor in the urban and rural areas,” he added.
Mr Ramakrishnan said the though the DMK had expressed concern over the hike in the price of petroleum products, the fact remained that the DMK was also a party to the cabinet decision to hike the price.
“The price of agriculture inputs has become beyond the reach of farmers. But the DMK extended its support to hike the price of fertilisers,” he said, alleging that the DMK was wavering because it had embraced liberalisation policy.
As regards the Chief Minister’s another remark that the CPI(M) was trying to suppress the achievements of the DMK government, Mr Ramakrishnan quipped, “no one can suppress achievements such as power cut, spiralling of prices of essential commodities, deterioration of law and order and denial of trade union rights in multi-national companies.”
He said though the DMK was claiming that it was the champion of social justice, suspension of IAS officer C. Umashankar and the wall to prevent the entry of Dalits in Uthapuram “tell different story.”
Mr Ramakrishnan said only a few CPI(M) men attended the meeting to admit former CPI(M) MLA C. Govindasamy into the DMK.
“Others belonged to the DMK. What is the need to organise such a big function to admit the DMK men into the DMK,” he said.
Rejecting the Chief Minister’s comments, CPI state secretary D. Pandian said, “time has come for the Chief Minister to retire from politics.”
