The DMK and the Congress were committed to according Statehood to the Union Territory, DMK president M.K. Stalin said on Thursday.
Campaigning for Congress Lok Sabha candidate V. Vaithilingam and DMK nominee for Thattanchavady bypoll K. Venkatesan, Mr. Stalin said both parties had included the demand for Statehood in their respective manifestos.
The BJP — the alliance partner of the principal Opposition, the AINRC — had not mentioned a word about Statehood for Puducherry, the DMK leader said.
Hitting out against the AINRC, he said the party never bothered to raise the issue of Statehood with the Central government during the last five years, even though it was in alliance with the BJP.
Terming the alliance between the AIADMK and the AINRC as “unholy”, the DMK leader said former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had called the AINRC chief a “betrayer”.
Jayalalithaa was very critical of Mr. Rangasamy for “breaking coalition dharma” by ignoring her party members in government formation. The party had aligned with the same AINRC, Mr. Stalin said.
Trying to strike a chord with the people of the U.T., the DMK leader said when the AIADMK, headed by M.G. Ramachandran, tried to merge the U.T. with Tamil Nadu, the DMK had expressed solidarity with political parties here who were opposed to the idea.
Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy and chief of the Pradesh Congress Committee A. Namassivayam were among those addressing the public meeting.
On Rafale
Campaigning for the DMK candidate T.V.R.S Ramesh and VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan at Kurunjipadi near Cuddalore on Thursday, Mr. Stalin said The Hindu ’s series of exposés on the Rafale fighter jet deal by N. Ram had revealed various infirmities on the part of the BJP-led NDA government.
Mr. Modi had been exposed and Mr. Ram was targetted for his unequivocal exposure of facts relating to the deal, he said.
