Chennai: In a strong counter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s jibe at the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu accusing it of non-cooperation with the Centre and should be driven out from the state in the ensuing Lok Sabha polls, DMK President and Chief Minister M.K.Stalin said Mr Modi’s remarks showed fear of defeat in his face in the polls and said his birthday gift from the DMK cadres was to win all 40 seats in Lok Sabha polls for ushering in a change in the government at the Centre.
Mr Stalin said the Opposition INDIA bloc should win the Lok Sabha polls to defeat the
fascist BJP regime at the Centre and put a full stop to communal politics.”
He also exhorted his his party cadre to gear up for the “democratic war” in which the
BJP government ruling the Union should be pulled down from power.
The victory in the LS polls (39 seats in Tamil Nadu and the lone seat in Puducherry) will be the fittest tribute to DMK Patriarch and former Chief Minister M.Karunandihi on his birth centenary year which the Party was celebrating in a grand manner across the State by organising various events.
In an epistle to DMK cadres on ths occasion of his birthday, Mr Stalin, who turned 71 on Friday, said Mr Modi’s remarks at a public meeting in Tirunelveli two days back that it was time to drive the DMK away from Tamil Nadu, showed it was the fear of defeat that could be seen on his face.
That’s why he (Mr Modi) has been repeatedly visiting Tamil Nadu, he said.
Mr Modi, who was on a two-day visit to the State on February 27 and 28, will be again visiting the state on March four, BJP sources said.
Reacting to Mr Modi’s jibe DMK MP and Parliamentary Party leader said the Prime Minister
was angry with Mr Stalin as the DMK helped build INDIA bloc.
Meanwhile, in a detailed letter to party cadres, Mr Stalin said “The Prime Minister’s speech claiming to crush and destroy the DMK, has brought disrepute to the post he holds. It is in the history of Tamil Nadu as to what happened to those who started to crush and destroy the DMK”.
The DMK president said he would, however, not say that the BJP would not live on. “Our Kalaignar (late DMK leader Karunanidhi) did not groom us like that. The BJP has the right to remain in the democratic set up as a political party. Let me wish the BJP to become a good Opposition, as they failed as a ruling party,” he stated.
Taking exception to Mr. Modi’s contention that the DMK government was obstructing Central government schemes in T.N., Mr. Stalin asked: “Are we blocking them from opening the AIIMS hospital (in Madurai)? Are we blocking the (Chennai) Metro rail projects?”
Mr. Stalin said his party opposed the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), contending that it was an altar crushing the dreams of medical education of the poor. “We will, of course, oppose it.” He asserted his party would oppose the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which, he said, was an “obstruction”.
Referring to his party’s opposition to the three farm laws (since withdrawn) which went against farmers as well as its opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) “that went against minorities and Sri Lankan Tamils,” Mr. Stalin said the DMK was being open about the issues they opposed.
“(Prime Minister) Modi, who did not give the funds due to a State government and prevented the State from taking loans and even failed to provide flood relief by running an unkind government, cannot find fault with the DMK,” Mr. Stalin asserted.
Calling upon his party cadre to take the list of the BJP’s “conspiracies” to the people of Tamil Nadu, Mr. Stalin said: “People are aware. We only have a duty to remind them. We have to win all 40 seats in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry (in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections),” he said.
The disturbances to political parties of the Opposition INDIA bloc in other States by the BJP government only meant that their (the Opposition’s) victory was almost certain in the national scenario, he said.
He called upon his party cadre to work to ensure a change in the Union government. That would be his “birthday gift,” he said.
Referring to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, he said a democratic duty was awaiting the party’s cadres. “The I.N.D.I.A. bloc should win so that fascism can be defeated and a full stop can be put to communal politics.” Mr. Stalin called upon his party cadre to gear up for the “democratic war” in which the BJP government ruling the Union should be pulled down from power.
