CHENNAI: Putting an end to speculation, DMK president MK Stalin on Sunday proposed the name of Congress president Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate of the national anti-BJP alliance being formed.
At a public meeting in Chennai after the unveiling of the statue of his father, late DMK president M Karunanidhi, Stalin urged leaders of other parties to extend their support to Rahul to become the next PM.
“The BJP government has destroyed the Constitution and institutions such as RBI, CBI, Supreme Court and Election Commission... If Modi is voted to power for another five years, the country will be pushed another 50 years back,” Stalin said. “It is our duty to protect the Constitution, federalism and rights of States. We should come together to defeat Modi,” he asserted.
“We oppose the BJP-led government as it poses a danger to religious harmony. The country’s economy is under threat, there is a danger to social justice and autonomy of States,” he said, before recalling Karunanidhi’s support to leadership of Rahul’s grandmother, Indira Gandhi, in 1980 and mother, Sonia Gandhi, in 2004.
“In 2018... I propose we install a new Prime Minister... As son of Thalaivar Kalaignar, from Tamil Nadu, I propose the candidature of Rahul Gandhi. Welcome Rahul Gandhi, give the nation good governance,” he said, adding that Rahul had the ability to defeat the “fascist” Modi government.
Stalin’s call to come together against ‘fascism’ echoed views of Rahul and Andhra Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu who, speaking earlier, had highlighted “damage” done to institutions by BJP-led government.
Rahul Gandhi, too spoke of the central government’s “destruction” of key institutions and the idea of India. Stating that Karunanidhi had worked his whole life to protect the autonomy of States, he said, “In order to protect his ideology we, Congress and DMK, should work together to protect parliamentary democracy in the country.”
Naidu, who listed demonetisation, bank fraud and farmer suicides under the present regime as causes for concern, said, “The country is witnessing only destruction activities under the BJP. The RBI and Supreme Court are being destroyed by BJP-led government. All opposition parties should come together to unseat BJP to protect democracy. The DMK-Congress alliance will win all 40 seats (sic) in the Tamil Nadu as it did in 2004,” he said.
Chairperson of Congress parliamentary party Sonia Gandhi, speaking after Stalin, noted the long relationship between the DMK and the Congress.
“He supported Indira Gandhi in nationalising of banks, abolition of privy purse and land reformation,” she recalled.
“We (Congress and DMK) must stand together as we did when Kalaignar was alive as we wage a battle against political forces that are destroying the constitutional values, institutions and our idea of India,” she said. “... let the message go out to the people of Tamil Nadu, to people of the country that we are united to protect our constitution and constitutional values that have built and sustained the country for 70 years,” she concluded.
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan praised Karunanidhi’s work towards the welfare of weaker sections of society. Puducherry CM V Narayanaswamy also spoke.
Earlier, Sonia Gandhi unveiled the statue of Karunanidhi at Anna Arivalayam, the DMK headquarters. Actor-politicians Rajinikanth and Shatrughan Sinha of BJP were among those present.