A video clip of a ruling DMK functionary from Mayiladuthurai, asking members of allied parties to “create an illusion” of putting up a strong opposition against the Congress government in Karnataka, has gone viral on social media platforms.
He was apparently speaking at a meeting of local functionaries of the DMK and its allies to discuss the bandh called in the delta districts against the Karnataka government on the Cauvery issue on Wednesday.
Farmers’ associations and several political parties have called for a bandh in the delta districts such as Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Thanjavur and Tiruvarur and four neighbouring districts to protest against the Karnataka government for not releasing adequate water for irrigation.
A video clip of the meeting, attended by DMK Mayiladuthurai district secretary and Poompuhar MLA Nivedha M. Murugan and Mayiladuthurai Congress MLA S. Raja Kumar, among others, surfaced on social media.
In it, DMK deputy district secretary M. Gnanavelan was heard saying, “We should create an illusion of opposing the Congress and downplay [AIADMK leader] Edappadi [K. Palaniswami] ultimately to eliminate the BJP, and that should be our policy. We can win the upcoming Lok Sabha election only if we do this to show our unity.”
BJP State president K. Annamalai shared the video and said, “As far as the DMK-Congress alliance is concerned, it has a history of betraying the people of Tamil Nadu on livelihood issues.”
“On the Cauvery issue, the DMK, which has been staging a drama day in and day out, is now going to pretend to hold a protest to deceive people and create an illusion that they are opposing the Karnataka Congress government,” Mr. Annamalai said.
Published - October 10, 2023 12:31 am IST
