MADURAI: The DMK members are practising Sanatana Dharma within their party while not being ready to appoint a party head who belongs to the SC/ST community, alleged AIADMK former minister Sellur K Raju on Thursday. He also said the AIADMK transformed the dreams of Periyar EV Ramasamy and CN Annadurai into reality.
While addressing the press, the minister took a dig at Minister of Youth Welfare and Sports Udhayanidhi Stalin stating that he is not aware of Tamil Nadu's history. "Sanatana Dharma was already abolished in the state during the times of Anna and Periyar. The changes with regard to this were reflected within the society -- from putting an end to untouchability and denial to no more restrictions on lower castes to express their views and engage in intercaste marriages," he said.
Further speaking, the minister said AIADMK general secretary Edapaddi K Palaniswami appointed a Muslim man as the praesidium chairman and questioned if the DMK would be ready to appoint a person belonging to the SC/ST community as the party head. "Whatever Periyar and Anna wanted to change within the society was followed up by the late AIADMK leader MG Ramachandran, who also introduced the mid-day meal scheme for students to sit and eat together and equally. The DMK has been talking about Sanatana Dharma in view of the upcoming Lok Sabha election and to retain the minority votes," Raju said and added that the DMK must limit practising Sanatana Dharma within its party.
"Both Chief Minister MK Stalin and his son Udhayanidhi Stalin had earlier said the latter would not foray into politics. However, see what has happened now. The DMK members talk differently before and after elections," the minister added.
Commenting on the monthly honorarium for women, Raju further said the Karnataka government has been offering Rs 2,000 as financial aid to around 1.3 lakh women as promised, whereas the Tamil Nadu government, as opposed to their promise of issuing Rs 1,000 monthly aid for over 2.20 crore women heads, caters to only 1.06 crore women heads in the state. He further requested the DMK to carry out some welfare work for the development of the Madurai district.