Kamal must align with DMK, says TNCC chief

Talking to media persons in the city, Alagiri who assumed the office of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president at Sathyamurthy Bhavan in the evening said, “Kamal should strengthen our hands. He should join us. He should stand by us to facilitate the formation of a secular government at the Centre.” Referring to an earlier meeting between Kamal and Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan when the actor floated his party, Algiri said that Vijayan was also of the same view and the actor should follow suit and join the secular front.

Unsurprisingly, DMK MLA (Velachery) Vaagai Chandrasekhar hit out at the actor and said, “He once called our leader Karunanidhi a guru and he had leant like a mythical Yekalaiva from him. Did he not see the dirt bag in DMK and AIADMK then? Why does he call DMK a disease now? Was he not aware of it when Jayalalithaa was alive?” Chandrasekhar even accused Kamal of spewing venom at the DMK after its president Stalin had rejected his feelers sent through Congress. Outgoing TNCC chief Su Thirunavukkarasar said the critics could no longer doubt the strength of the Congress in the state and the people should strive to ensure the victory of the non-BJP secular front in the country.

Addressing cadre later at Sathyamurthy Bhavan when Alagiri and the five working presidents assumed office, former union minister P Chidambaram said the women, Dalits and students were living in constant fear in the country and the Centre has only succeeded in making lives of farmers miserable.