AIADMK mortgaged party to BJP after central agencies raid: MK Stalin

Chennai, April 12 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M.K. Stalin on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the AIADMK, accusing its leadership of surrendering the party and the interests of the state to the BJP following raids by central agencies.

In a strongly worded statement issued in Chennai, the Chief Minister said: “After relatives of AIADMK office-bearers were subjected to raids by central agencies, the party leadership rushed to the BJP seeking protection. The BJP seized the opportunity and forced an alliance. This alliance itself is a scam. Corruption is the glue holding it together.”

The DMK leader alleged that the AIADMK-BJP partnership was a failed alliance, repeatedly rejected by the people of Tamil Nadu in successive elections.

He also criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah for reviving the alliance without offering any rationale or ideological basis.

“Amit Shah has yet again cobbled together a failed alliance. He may have the desire to do so, but he has failed to explain the reasons or the principles behind it. He has merely mentioned the formulation of a Common Minimum Programme (CMP),” the Chief Minister said.

Challenging the credibility of the CMP, the Chief Minister questioned whether it would reflect AIADMK’s past positions on key issues such as opposition to NEET, the Waqf (Amendment) Act, and the proposed delimitation exercise that could reduce Tamil Nadu’s representation in the Lok Sabha.

“Amit Shah did not speak on any of these vital issues, nor did he allow the AIADMK leadership to present its stance. Instead, he chose to attack the DMK, the state government, and me,” he said.

He asserted that the DMK continues to champion the rights of states and the preservation of Tamil culture, while accusing the AIADMK-BJP alliance of being driven solely by the hunger for power.

“The BJP leadership is working to destroy Tamil Nadu through various means, including the imposition of Hindi and delimitation. The AIADMK, acting like bonded labourers, has surrendered to the BJP. In doing so, they have mortgaged Tamil Nadu to Delhi, forsaking self-respect. The people of the state will deliver a fitting response,” he concluded.

--IANS

aal/dan