CHENNAI: Reminding them about Tamil Nadu’s glorious history of social justice movement and secularism, former Lok Sabha Speaker and Opposition’s presidential candidate, Meira Kumar, appealed to all members of the collegium from the State to support her in her ‘ideological battle’.
“This unity in Opposition parties is firmly based on ideology - our ideology which we find being trampled under the brutality of the dispensation. But these are the values which are dear to most of the country’s citizens. These values which are held sacred by most of the country are under threat. That is the reason why I think I have an important role as the presidential candidate. I am here to contest the election to articulate very strongly what most of the people in the country feel,” she told reporters after attending the reception organised by DMK and Congress on Saturday.
With numbers not in her favour, she appealed to all members of the collegium ‘to listen to their inner voice of conscience’.
In her first visit to the State after 27 years, she also expressed her gratitude to DMK working president M K Stalin for organising the meeting to support her. Kumar complimented Stalin, who, like his father M Karunanidhi, had always fought for the cause of the poor and to uphold secularism. The DMK’s unequivocal support had strengthened the Opposition’s unity, she said.
Speaking at the event, Stalin appealed to all legislators across the country to consider Kumar as a common candidate and added: “When the nation is passing through the worst period, the united opposition has fielded the best candidate to protect the people and the Constitution.”