CHENNAI: DMK president and Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday posed sharp questions to the AIADMK chief, Edappadi Palaniswami, to divulge the party's stance on contentious issues such as the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), which is considered anti-minority, and alleged that the silence was due to the alliance with the BJP.
The BJP, which recently promised to implement the UCC in its West Bengal election manifesto, is not openly promoting it in Tamil Nadu, but AIADMK is abetting such a dangerous party, Stalin said, addressing a campaign meeting in Paramakudi. Palaniswami has become a “facilitator” for the BJP’s entry into the State, the DMK chief said.
UCC is a direct challenge to India’s pluralistic fabric, Stalin added. However, the BJP has not openly advanced this position in Tamil Nadu because of the State’s strong ideological grounding in Dravidian politics, he said.
Tamil Nadu’s political legacy, shaped by leaders such as Periyar, CN Annadurai, and M Karunanidhi, protects the State against religion-based politics, he added. "There is a widespread belief that the electorate would not permit forces seen as opposed to social justice to gain ground — a factor the BJP is believed to have acknowledged," he said.
Drawing a political analogy, he likened the contest to a match between “Team Tamil Nadu and Team Delhi”, asking voters to decide the outcome.
Stalin claimed that Tamil Nadu emerged strongly from the COVID-19 crisis under his government and called for a renewed mandate to take the State’s growth to the next level.
Stalin said that when the DMK assumed office, the State was battling the peak of the pandemic, but the government worked to stabilise the situation and revive the economy.
“Today, Tamil Nadu has achieved 11.19 per cent economic growth, which is the result of our hard work. But this growth alone is not enough,” he said, urging people to aim for higher development standards.
Addressing voters, he asked whether the current level of growth was sufficient and stressed the need to build Tamil Nadu into a distinct development model.
“We must strengthen Tamil Nadu as a separate brand. People should reject those who compromise the State’s interests for their own gains,” he said.
Taking aim at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Stalin accused the Union government of failing to address the issue of fishermen with Sri Lanka.
“When we raise the fishermen's issue, the Prime Minister remains a silent observer. If they are seen as Indian fishermen, why are they allowed to suffer at the hands of the Sri Lankan Navy?” he asked.
He said the State government had passed Assembly resolutions and made repeated representations seeking the retrieval of Katchatheevu island and protection of fishermen, but alleged that no concrete action had been taken by the Centre.
Stalin also targeted AIADMK general secretary and Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami, questioning whether he had opposed key BJP policies, including the three-language policy, Uniform Civil Code, Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), and delimitation.
Alleging that State rights were compromised for political reasons, he said Tamil Nadu was bigger than any individual and its rights should not be mortgaged.
“We are not fighting just for the victory of a party or alliance, but for the victory of Tamil Nadu,” he said.