A DAY after he attended an event with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh where a commemorative coin on M Karunanidhi was released, DMK supremo M K Stalin fended off reports that it indicated a closing of gap between his party and the BJP.
Attacking AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) over his criticism of the event, including the fact that the commemorative coin featured Hindi text, Stalin said it was a Union government function, held as per its protocol, and that EPS’s remarks indicated his “ignorance”.
Responding to EPS after attending a wedding of a DMK functionary, Stalin said: “Because Rajnath Singh attended the event, they say there’s a BJP-DMK deal! We don’t make secret deals. Indira Gandhi once said that the DMK, whether it praises or attacks, does so based on ideology. EPS should learn this. We are not like EPS, who goes secretly, crawling for power and positions.”
Under EPS, the AIADMK had a tacit agreement with the BJP, before they formally entered an alliance.
EPS had remarked on the bonhomie between Singh, who also paid his respects at Karunanidhi’s memorial during his visit to Chennai, and Stalin at Sunday’s event, as well as commented on the fact that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was not among the invitees. Stalin said that the event “was organised by the Union government, not by us”, implying that any complaints regarding the guest list could not be directed at the DMK government.
On the subject of the BJP, Stalin added that his party’s dedication to its foundational principles remained unchanged. “I take a pledge here that we will not sacrifice our rights, and that is what the Anna (Annadurai) family stands for.”
But while dismissing the possibility of an alliance with the BJP, Stalin praised Rajnath Singh’s sincere respect for Karunanidhi. The senior BJP leader had spoken more passionately about the late leader than even some DMK allies and leaders, Stalin said. “He didn’t need to speak so much about Kalaignar, which shows that his words came from the heart.”
Slamming EPS, Stalin also referred to the release of a commemorative coin for AIADMK luminary M G Ramachandran in 2019, saying that unlike the event for Karunanidhi, no representative from the Union government had attended then. “EPS himself released it because the Union government did not respect him. He wasn’t even treated like a human by the Union government,” he said.
The DMK chief asked what EPS had done for the other AIADMK icon, the late J Jayalalithaa. “The AIADMK keeps saying, ‘Amma, Amma, Amma’… carrying her picture in their pockets. It has been years since she passed away. Did they even organise a simple condolence meeting for Jayalalithaa after her death?”
On the AIADMK remarks regarding Hindi text on the commemorative coin for Karunanidhi, Stalin said it was in keeping with the tradition of coins released by the Union government for significant figures in Indian history. When the coin for DMK founder C N Annadurai was released, it too included both Hindi and English, apart from his own Tamil signature, he said. Karunanidhi’s favourite phrase “Tamil Vellum (Tamil will prevail)” was added on the coin at their request, Stalin added.
EPS had called the inclusion of Hindi on the Karunanidhi coin an “insult” to his legacy. “Why should a coin meant to honour a Tamil leader like Karunanidhi include Hindi?” he said, invoking the anti-Hindi sentiment in the state.