CHENNAI: Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin on Friday alleged that the Election Commission was being used as a tool by political opponents to defeat the DMK “through the backdoor,” since they had failed to challenge the party ideologically.
Speaking at the “DMK 75 – Knowledge Festival” organised by the party’s youth wing at Valluvar Kottam, Stalin inaugurated the event and released the commemorative book “Colours of Time: Black and Red – DMK 75.”
“The DMK cannot be defeated on the strength of ideas or ideology. So, they are trying to use the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process to destabilise us,” he said, questioning the urgency in conducting the exercise despite objections from all political parties. “We are opposing this legally and politically, and will continue to fight,” he asserted.
Tracing the DMK’s evolution, Stalin said the party was built by ordinary people and had grown into a movement admired across India. “From the leadership to the grassroots, cadres worked tirelessly for 18 years to bring about social change. Our ideas of social justice, self-respect, and federalism have now spread throughout the country,” he said.
Hailing Youth Wing Secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin for drawing lakhs of young members into the party, Stalin urged the youth wing to transform the book’s essays into videos for wider reach on social media.
“Some try to intimidate us; others dream of replicating our success. But to achieve what the DMK did, one needs the same intellect and labour. There is one sun, one moon, and one DMK,” he said to loud applause.
Stalin said the festival was a celebration of the DMK’s struggle and ideals. “Dravidianism will prevail, time will prove it. The journey that began in 2019 will lead to another victory in 2026 under the Dravidian Model 2.0,” he said.
He also lauded contributions from national leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Sharad Pawar, and D Raja to the commemorative volume, adding that the DMK’s principles of social justice and federalism had earned admiration across India.
“As long as the ideals of Periyar, Anna and Kalaignar endure, Tamil Nadu will not bow down. Tamil Nadu will fight, and Tamil Nadu will win,” he said.