Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Wednesday urged national and State leaders and Chief Ministers of non-BJP-ruled States not to fall prey to the designs of the BJP, which would try to win the 2024 Lok Sabha polls by taking advantage of divisive politics, caste, religion, and division among the Opposition.
Addressing a public meeting at Binny Mills in Chennai, which was organised to mark the birth centenary of former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, he said the BJP would go to any extent to spread lies, and it had an indoctrinated crowd that was ready to indulge in slanderous campaigns. “We have been watching the game of the Tamil Nadu Governor (R.N. Ravi). We have reached a stage where we declare that enough is enough, and there is a need to rise up against the designs of the BJP. Let him (Mr. Ravi) speak whatever he wants to speak, because people are with us. People who have faith in the unity of the country and equality are with us and have faith in us,” he said.
Mr. Stalin said he had been invited by JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to participate in a meeting that would be attended by leaders from across the country on June 23. “He called me to invite when I was coming to the meeting,” he said.
What was important was “who should not form the government” rather than who should form it, he said. “It is a democratic battle waiting for us. It is not an electoral ritual that happens once in five years to change the government. To save Indian democracy and federalism, democratic forces should bury their differences and work together,” he added.
Reiterating his appeal to the leaders of State-level parties and the Chief Ministers of non-BJP-ruled States to come together to defeat the “communal, fascist and dictatorial BJP”, he said the Opposition should not give undue importance to their differences.
Mr Stalin said some people were afraid of the word “Dravidian”, because they were against inclusive growth and were in favour of development for one section of the society.
Congress leader K.S. Alagiri supported the request of IUML leader Kader Mohideen to name the University of Madras after Karunanidhi. “Let ‘Madras’ be there. We can add Kalaignar’s name to it,” he said.
CPI(M) state secretary K. Balakrishnan requested Mr Stalin to install a statue of Karl Marx in Chennai to commemorate the birth centenary of Karunanidhi.
DMK general secretary Duraimurugan, Dravidar Kazhagam president K. Veeramani, MDMK general secretary Vaiko, VCK leader Thol. Thirumavalavan, CPI State secretary R. Mutharasan, and HR&CE Minister Sekarbabu took part.
