DMK will oppose ‘imposition’ of Hindi tooth and nail, says Stalin

‘Interests of Tamils will be protected at any cost’

DMK president M.K. Stalin speaking at an event in Tiruvannamalai

DMK president M.K. Stalin on Sunday said the party will oppose any move by the BJP government at the Centre to impose Hindi on Tamils.

Addressing party cadre at the Mupperum Vizha in Tiruvannamalai, he said the language stir launched in Tamil Nadu had helped deter successive Central governments from imposing Hindi all these years. The interests of Tamils will be protected at any cost, and DMK cadre should be ready to face any kind of intimidation from the ruling party in the State, he said.

“This will be part of our discussions scheduled to be held in Chennai, and we will decide on the next course of action,” he added.

Describing the imposition of Hindi as a cultural war against Tamils, he said the DMK will strive to unite other non-Hindi-speaking States to send a strong message to the Union government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom he accused of taking unilateral decisions.

Mr. Stalin said India was not about Hindi-speaking States alone, and it was time that the government embraced people of all identities. The DMK will protect the interests of the people in Parliament and in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, he said.

The DMK leader said June 3 — late DMK leader Karunanidhi’s birthday — should be declared ‘Semmozhi Day’.

Accusing Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami of enacting a drama on the investment proposals he received during his recent foreign tour, Mr. Stalin said, “This benami government is silent on the issue of coming out with a White Paper identifying the industrial establishments, the quantum of investments and job opportunities to be created and so on.”

“No one can match Kalaignar’s [Karunanidhi’s] achievement when it comes to the industrialisation of the State. The Siruseri IT Park, the Tidel Park in Thiruvanmiyur and the Sriperumbudur industrial city are some of the major achievements of the DMK regime. Do they [AIADMK] have similar achievements to showcase?” he asked.

Mr. Stalin distributed prizes to students who won competitions conducted as part of the DMK’s founding day and the birth anniversary celebrations of party founder C.N. Annadurai.

Members of Parliament T.R. Baalu and R.S. Bharathi and Tamizhachi Thangapandian, MLAs A.V. Velu, Duraimurugan and K. Ponmudi, and the party’s youth wing leader Udhayanidhi Stalin participated in the event.