Democracy above Lankan Tamils, say state parties

Call it marriage of compulsion or poll time compromise, the outfits defend the change in policy with the chorus that democracy is facing threat under the Modi rule. With MDMK and VCK being the first two to change their stand and join the DMK-Congress alliance, Tamilaga Vazhvurimai Kathci took cue from the duo and became part of the UPA.

Earlier, all these parties blasted the DMK and Congress squarely blaming both the major parties for the mass killing of Sri Lankan Tamils during the 2009 Eelam war and avoided aligning with the DMK. In a major shift in their stance, all these parties have become part of the Cong-led UPA for Parliamentary election with the sole aim of defeating BJP.

“BJP possesses grave threat to the democratic and federal nature of the country. The saffron party is planning to convert India into a unitary unit and so our priority is to defeat BJP in this election,” reasoned Vaiko justifying his party’s decision.

In his book ‘I Accuse You’, released in 2019, Vaiko launched a scathing attack on former DMK supremo M Karunanidhi and Congress for helping Sri Lankan government and forces kill lakhs of Tamils in the island nation.

VCK leader, Thol Thirumavavalan, and Tamilaga Vazhvurimai Katchi leader, Velmurugan, who also spit venom on the Dravidian major and the Grand Old Party over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, have also jumped into the Congress-DMK bandwagon.

Justifying the move, Velmurugan said, “I have openly condemned Karunanidhi in the Assembly when it was officially declared that Eelam war had ended and even staged several protests against both the parties – Congress and the DMK. In the present situation, the BJP appears to be a more dangerous enemy as it wants to destroy Tamil Nadu.”