Vaiko wants regional parties to join hands

December 19, 2010 04:48 pm | Updated November 17, 2021 03:22 am IST - Hyderabad

MDMK general secretary Vaiko speaks to fasting TDP chief N.Chandrababu Naidu in Hyderabad on Sunday. Salem MP S.Semmalai is at left. Photo: Nagara Gopal

MDMK general secretary Vaiko speaks to fasting TDP chief N.Chandrababu Naidu in Hyderabad on Sunday. Salem MP S.Semmalai is at left. Photo: Nagara Gopal

Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) president Vaiko has stressed the need for all the major regional parties to join hands to fight corruption and protect democracy in the country. Mr. Vaiko favoured a combination of regional parties to usher in “real federalism” and wanted Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu to lead the combination.

The MDMK chief was here on Sunday to call on Mr. Naidu whose indefinite fast seeking solution to farmers' problems entered the third day.

Expressing solidarity with Mr. Naidu, Mr. Vaiko sat at the hunger strike camp for most part of the day. In his half-an-hour-long address in English, translated into Telugu by senior TDP leader Varla Ramaiah, Mr. Vaiko said the days of the Congress government at the Centre and in the State were numbered.

He recalled his association with the Telugu Desam Party since 1998 and said Mr. Naidu set an example for others by not joining the Vajpayee government at a time when leaders of other parties were looking for positions for their kith and kin. The MDMK too did not join the Ministry in 1998, but some special circumstances forced the party to join the government in 1999. “I did not join the government in spite of being offered a Cabinet berth, but my party had to join the Ministry due to the circumstances then,” he said.

The MDMK president lavished praise on Mr. Naidu for launching innovative schemes such as Janmabhoomi, teleconference and videoconference with officials to take administration to the doorstep of the people. He described Mr. Naidu as a leader of impeccable honesty and integrity and said nobody could point an accusing finger at the TDP president.

Mr. Naidu ushered in issue-based politics in the country and had never compromised on secular ideals in spite of his playing a key role in the survival of the NDA government, he said. He wanted Mr. Naidu to conserve his energy and health as he should play a key role in not only State politics but also at the national level.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.