CHENNAI: Rebutting senior BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan’s remark that the DMK is afraid of K Annamalai, who has vowed to dismantle the Davidian major and its government in the State, Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) PK Sekarbabu stated that the DMK fears nothing.

He said that the party has evolved into a movement after navigating a difficult and challenging political path for decades. He also added that the State president of the saffron party is not even a match for the DMK’s dedicated cadre.

“A primary member of the party is capable of handling not one, but even a thousand Annamalais. The party nor its ideologically committed cadre fear people like him (BJP chief Annamalai). The party and the cadre have traversed a tough and challenging political path and it fears nothing,” the minister told journalists on Thursday after launching the extended Annadhanam scheme at the Arulmigu Pamban Swamy Temple in Tiruvanmiyur.

Sekarbabu went on to say that as far as the party is concerned, fear is like dust on a wall – it falls off as soon as someone knocks it. Those who have tried to destroy the DMK have been reduced to nothing in the political landscape of Tamil Nadu, the HR&CE minister said. This is what the party’s history, he added, saying it (history) will repeat. He said with a note of caution to the saffron party and its leaders.

On the Annadhanam scheme, the minister said that the government has extended the full-day Annadhanam scheme to 11 temples, bringing the total number of temples covered under the scheme to 13.

Similarly, the Oru Velai Annadhanam scheme has been expanded from 23 temples to 764 temples. The government has allocated Rs 120 crore for the scheme, he said.