Begin typing your search...
DMK, allies stage rally, warn of more protests against CAA
Amid heavy security, Stalin said it was not a rally but a battle formation
By
migrator
migrator
Chennai
Voices of dissent against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rocked the city as the DMK led Opposition took out a massive rally against the controversial legislation amid heavy police security in the city on Monday.
DMK president MK Stalin, former union finance minister P Chidambaram, Dravidar Kazhagam president K Veeramani, IUML leader Khadar Mohideen, state Congress president KS Alagiri, CPIM state secretary K Balakrishnan, CPI state secretary R Mutharasan, VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan, KNMDK leader Eswaran, MMK leader M H Jawahirullah were among the leaders of 11 parties which rallied against the BJP led Centre for promulgating the legislation.
Stalin who led the procession declared at the end that it was ‘not a rally, but a battle formation’. Thanking people for participating in the procession and expressing their solidarity, the DMK president announced that their protest would continue till the Centre revokes the draconian legislation. Unfazed by Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Neethi Maiam declining their invitation for the rally, Stalin said they would ‘invite, embrace and consult’ people beyond political and party differences to finalise their next course of action against the CAA. Stalin also sarcastically thanked the ruling AIADMK for giving wide publicity to the rally and said the city police numbering over 5,000 should also be thanked for taking part in the rally and expressing their solidarity.
Later, in a statement thanking every ally, political parties and association which supported the rally, Stalin said that the opposition to CAA will not stop with protests, agitations and rallies. “It is a war to safeguard democracy, equality, secularism and Tamils. The war will continue,” Stalin said. The rally was started from Thalamuthu-Natarajan Maligai and marched through Langsgarden Road and Pudupet streets before culminating at Rajarathinam stadium in Egmore. As many as 5,000 police personnel were deployed by the city police to ensure that the rally passed off without any major untoward incidents. As per the Madras High Court’s instructions, the rally was monitored with the help of two drones.
Cong seeks formal statement from PM on NRC
Buoyed by the “resounding victory” of the JMM-Congress alliance in Jharkhand Assembly polls, former union finance minister P Chidambaram on Monday said the ruling BJP can be defeated if the opposition forces remain united.
Briefing reporters at Congress headquarters Sathyamurthy Bhavan, Chidambaram who took part in the DMK-led rally against Citizenship Amendment Act, said, “We are very happy and we congratulate and thank the people of Jharkhand for giving the JMM-Congress alliance an overwhelming mandate.” “In the last three months, BJP was dented in Haryana, denied in Maharashtra and defeated in Jharkhand. The Congress-JMM alliance has been given a resounding victory and we are very happy,” he said, before proclaiming that, “The BJP is not unbeatable. If all opposition parties rally together and understand the dangers faced by the country and come together. Surely the BJP can be defeated.
The BJP will be defeated in future elections also.” On the NRC-CAA issue, the former union home minister took exception to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s clarification on NRC implementation and said that the PM should make a formal statement on suspending NRC to settle the issue. Asking about the PM’s clarification that they have not given any thought to the NRC, Chidambaram said, “I don’t think he (PM) is stepping back. He is trying to cover up the statements of his Ministers, his Home Minster, Defence Minister, other Ministers and party working president. I don’t think there is a real change of heart. A real change of heart will be visible only if he makes a formal statement that the CAA will be kept in abeyance or suspension and the NRC exercise is abandoned.” Reiterating that Rohingyas in Myanmar, Tamils in Sri Lanka and Ahmedias in Pakistan were among the most persecuted minorities in the whole world, Chidambaram said, “They are lying. Time and again Ministers (of BJP) have said the NRC will be implemented. It is all on record. I have got even the clip from the Parliament where Amit Shah says NRC will be implemented throughout the country.”
Asserting that the NRC was a flawed exercise, the former minister sought to know if there could an exercise more insane than NRC? “Is this the most important? Instead of focussing on people’s related issues, they have taken up six issues to divide people,” he alleged, adding that they must remain united to confront and defeat the challenge posed by the BJP and its agenda resolutely.
AIADMK’s Muslim allies MJK, SDPI join DMK’s massive anti-CAA rally
Most of the Muslim outfits in Tamil Nadu particularly, the Manidhaneya Jananayaga Katchi (MJK) and Socialistic Democratic Party of India (SDPI) which earlier allied with the
AIADMK and rebel AMMK, joined the Opposition DMK to protest the CAA on Monday.
There were also cadre attached to the ruling AIADMK and AMMK spotted in the rally organised by the Opposition. “I don’t like the DMK and have always voted for the AIADMK since the days of MGR and Amma, but now I joined the rally to express my protest against the CAA,” said Mohamad Asmath an AIADMK follower residing in Pudhupet.
The general perception among my family members is that the AIADMK has become anti-minorities by walking out from the controversial Triple Talaq Act, added Asmath.
“The ruling AIADMK had been enjoying the support of minorities, particularly the rural Muslims and Amma consolidated the Muslim women votes, already the party is feeling the heat in Muslim dominated areas. We are worried about the local body poll results in areas like Central Chennai, Vellore, Ambur, Vaniyambadi, Keelakarai, Nagoor and Ramanathapuram where Muslim voters will decide the fate of local bodies,” an AIADMK district secretary told DT Next.
But, now there are cases of our party workers are being side-lined from Jamats belonging to Ranipet, Wallajah and Arcot and if this escalates, the party will have a major effect on the upcoming civic polls and next general Assembly polls, added the senior leader.
However, an AIADMK leader wishing not to be quoted said that not all the votes of minorities will go in favour of the Opposition. “Amma was keen about annual Hajj pilgrimage and the Ramzan porridge was subsidised. Subsequently, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami approved supply of 4,900 tonnes of free rice to 3,000 mosques during Ramzan issuing a government order to spend Rs 12. 60 crores,” the functionary said adding that there are AIADMK cadre at grass root levels practising Islam.
The Indian Union Muslim League, Tamil Nadu Thouheed Jamath, Social Democratic Party of India, Manidhaneya Makkal Katchi, Manidhaneya Jananayaga Katchi, Tamil Nadu Muslim League are the Muslim outfits voicing against the Triple Talaq and the CAA. Last week, AIADMK MP A Mohammed John was stripped of his position in the All Jamaat Federation for supporting the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in the Rajya Sabha.
Meanwhile in Madurai, Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management RB Udhayakumar faced resistance from the Muslim community while campaigning in the suburbs of Madurai ahead of rural local body polls.
Anticipating the Minister’s schedule at Thenur, the community members waited in front of a mosque at Thenur and raised slogans condemning Centre and state government over the Citizenship Amendment Act. They raised black umbrellas as a sign of protest. Even after the campaign vehicle of the Minister passed off the protest site, they raised slogans against governments, sources said.
However, police termed it as mere coincidence as the community staged the protest according to their schedule and the Minister happened to pass by.
Mamata writes to Stalin for Oppn unity
West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee has proposed a meeting of opposition parties to chalk out a concerted plan to protest and save our democracy from the ruling BJP. In her letter to DMK president MK Stalin, Banerjee preached the virtues of the Opposition remaining united to defeat the draconian BJP regime.
“Today, more than ever, we need to rise against the draconian regime in a united manner. I sincerely and earnestly request all my senior leaders and all the political outfits to stand up against this in a concerted and united manner. Let us create peaceful and meaningful Opposition to these unholy efforts by the Centre and save India’s democratic soul,” she wrote, copy of which was circulated by the DMK headquarters.
Drawing Stalin’s attention to protests at various places wherever there was a meaningful presence of the Opposition, the West Bengal Chief Minister appealed to “all of you at this juncture, let us all work together. Opposition unity must be on one platform. The ruling party is bulldozing this democratic movement by using state machineries and brute force. Leaders of opposition are not being allowed to even visit disturbed areas.” “The youth and students have risen against and are facing barbaric and brute force of the Centre. The entire world is watching. Let us all rise to save India of our forefathers and founders. Let us all meet and chalk out a concerted plan to protest and save our democracy,” she added.
Visit news.dtnext.in to explore our interactive epaper!
Download the DT Next app for more exciting features!
Click here for iOS
Click here for Android
Next Story
