CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin responded on Wednesday to criticisms from BJP supporters that the DMK-led alliance bagging all 40 seats in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry held no benefit since they lacked participation in Union government.
Stressing the significance of the DMK-led INDIA bloc’s victory in the state, he said, “For those who believe in parliamentary democracy and understand the rights granted by the Indian Constitution, the widespread success of the INDIA bloc, including Tamil Nadu’s 40 out of 40, acts as a rein for those in power and a protective shield for Indian democracy.”
Stalin also recalled the DMK’s historical achievement in 1957, when the party, with just two MPs, secured an assurance from then PM Jawaharlal Nehru against Hindi imposition, safeguarding the linguistic rights of many states.
He attributed the DMK-led alliance’s victory in all 40 Lok Sabha seats and the majority of votes in 221 out of 234 assembly constituencies to the unwavering support and trust of the people of Tamil Nadu.
He further invited the cadre of the DMK to take part in the grand function scheduled on June 15 at Coimbatore, in large numbers to celebrate the DMK-led alliance’s landslide victory in the parliament general election and the conclusion of the birth centenary of former CM M Karunanidhi.