PUDUKKOTTAI: Stirring a major political storm, BJP State vice president BT Arasakumar asserted that the time would come when DMK leader MK Stalin would take the throne as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He was speaking at a marriage function of DMK MLA Periyannan Arasu’s daughter in Pudukkottai on Sunday. Stalin was present at the function.
To the surprise of huge gatherings at the wedding, Arasakumar began his speech declaring that Stalin was not a leader only for DMK, rather he was a leader for all of them. He said, “If Stalin wanted to claim power through other means he could have done it long ago. But he is waiting to become the Chief Minister in a democratic manner to rule the state forever.”
He further equated Stalin to former chief minister M G Ramachandran in terms of charisma. Every point in his speech received huge applause from the gathering, including DMK leaders at the dias.
At one reference, Arasakumar indirectly hinted that he might switch the camp and return to the Dravidian party. Pointing to the Black and Red bordered dhoti presented to him before the speech, he quipped, “It is a dhoti which I have already worn. At all times, this dhoti belongs to me. There is no need to get it through someone else.” It is to recall that in 2016 Arasakumar contested in the Mudukulathur assembly constituency as the BJP candidate.
Speaking later, the DMK chief clarified the DMK’s stand on conducting the local body polls. He said, “ We are not against conducting the local body polls. We just want the election to be conducted in a fair manner after classifying all the wards, properly earmarking reversed posts for SC, ST and women. We moved the Supreme Court for the same reason.”
Responding to the Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami’s criticism that Stalin could not become the CM though he became the MLA along with him in 1989, he said that he wanted to attain the post only in a ‘democratic manner’.
Later, Stalin visited L Ganesan, party’s election work team president, at his house at Thanjavur and enquired about his health. He is ailing due to age-related health issues. He also attended a wedding function at Thanjavur and participated in an event where more than 500 cadres of other parties from Peravurani, Pattukkottai areas joined the DMK.
Stalin urges PM to intervene in Lankan Tamils issue
DMK president MK Stalin on Sunday urged the Centre to take steps to ensure that Tamils in Sri Lanka lived with dignity and self-respect. In a Facebook message, he expressed shock and sadness over the Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s statement in an interview that full devolution of powers could not be implemented against the wishes and feelings of majority Sinhalese. Stalin said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should intervene in the matter.