Reiterating his charge that the AIADMK had pledged itself with the BJP, which had taken away the rights and pride of the Tamils, DMK president M.K. Stalin on Wednesday said his party would end this and ensure that the State got its due.
“The AIADMK was welcome to glorify the BJP, but not at the cost of pledging the self-respect of the people. The DMK will stop this practice and ensure that the State got its due share for growth and development,” he said at an election meeting in Bodinayakkanur.
At a well-attended poll meeting here, in support of the DMK candidates - Thanga Tamil Selvan (Bodi), Cumbum Ramakrishnan (Cumbum), K S Saravana Kumar (Periakulam) and A Maharajan (Andipatti), he said that the AIADMK won in one Lok Sabha seat (Theni) and the MP’s letter pads had the photograph of Narendra Modi.
He told the electorate that even if one among the AIADMK candidates won, he would be a puppet of the BJP, which was determined to create a rift among the people under caste, community and religion.
Mr Stalin said at the time of commencement of the electioneering a fortnight ago, the DMK was hopeful of winning in 200 seats, but after touring the length and breadth of Tamil Nadu, the victory for the DMK looks bright and sure in all the 234 Assembly segments.
Attacking the AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam, he said that a very few people get the opportunity to serve the people. In the case of Mr Panneerselvam, he was Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister and Minister. However, he had done nothing to even the people of the district from where he was elected to the Legislative Assembly, he charged.
Knowing pretty well that the AIADMK would not come to power this time, Mr Stalin claimed that Mr Panneerselvam had “cleverly” agreed to support and propose Mr Palaniswami’s name as the party’s Chief Ministerial candidate. After surveys showed that the DMK would sweep the polls, the AIADMK leaders were upset that they have started accusing the DMK, he claimed.
The DMK, he said, had always practised in releasing the election manifesto from the time it was initiated in TN since 1957. Following the path of [late] Karunanidhi, he said that all the assurances would be fulfilled.
The DMK president questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not inviting the protesting farmers in New Delhi for talks over the three agriculture Act. Mr Modi could have invited them and given assurance that the interests would be guarded. Instead, they have left the farmers in the lurch, he said.
