Former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha and Shatrughan Sinha meeting DMK president M Karunanidhi at his Gopalapuram residence in the city on Friday | Express
CHENNAI: Indirectly expressing his willingness to work with Congress, former Union Finance Minister and a caustic critic of BJP, Yashwant Sinha on Friday said a broad alliance should be formed with all those willing to join in order to take on BJP whose government posed a threat to secularism, democracy and the Constitution.
Yashwant Sinha, who recently quit BJP, visited DMK working president MK Stalin at his Chitharanjan Salai residence in Chennai along with BJP dissident and former Union Minister Shatrughan Sinha in the evening. Later, they both called on Stalin’s father and DMK president M Karunanidhi at Gopalapuram
‘Had a very useful discussions with Stalin’
Talking to reporters outside Karunanidhi’s residence, Yashwant Sinha said he had ‘very useful’ discussions with Stalin. “We are very happy we can look to the future with hope and confidence.”
Replying to a question on whether he was ready to join hands with Congress to take on the BJP, Yashwant Sinha said, “I think we should form an alliance with everybody who are willing to join an alliance against the BJP.”
Stalin, who was accompanying him, said the aim was to remove BJP from power. Launching a scathing attack on BJP, Sinha alleged that secularism, democracy and the Constitution were under threat from the government led by the party.
“We all agree that Constitution has to be saved, which is under threat. We all agree secularism has to be saved, which is under threat and we agree democracy in the country and its values have to be saved,” he said.
Recalling his announcement when he called it quits his association with BJP recently, he said the nation called for a “joint struggle” against the threat from this (BJP-led) government to secularism, democracy and the Constitution. Referring to his meeting with Karunanidhi, the former Union Minister said that he met him to seek the leader’s blessings.
Expressing happiness over the meeting with the Sinhas, Stalin said they exchanged views on working together to check the communal government of the BJP led by Narendra Modi.
“Not only DMK, but other political parties in Tamil Nadu have the same sentiments. I am happy about the meeting,” he told reporters. It may be noted that leaders, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao have been in touch with Stalin discussing the idea of floating a third alternative sans BJP and Congress.
Last Sunday, Chandrasekhar Rao visited him to have a 150-minute long luncheon meeting at his residence. Rao then suggested that his party was neither associating nor dissociating with the Congress in building up a broad alliance to take on the BJP.
