PTI, CHENNAI: In a veiled attack on the BJP, days after its thumping Lok Sabha poll win, DMK president M K Stalin Saturday said a situation has now emerged that warranted his party’s secularism plank to be pitched in other Indian states.
The nation has been prompted to “look south” for DMK’s Parliamentary election strategy that “saved” Tamil Nadu from the “cruel hands of communal forces,” he said.
In an open letter to party workers, Stalin took pride on his party taking the third top slot (23 seats) in the Lok Sabha polls after the BJP (303) and Congress (52). While the DMK-led front won 37 of the 38 seats in the state, the AIADMK could win only the Theni constituency. Election was cancelled in Vellore segment following allegations of corruption.
“A situation has now emerged that necessitates DMK’s plank of secularism in other Indian states as well,” he said.
The DMK chief also batted for pitching secularism for containing the saffron party and winning polls.
Stalin, during the run up to the polls in Tamil Nadu, had christened the combine led by him as “Secular Progressive Alliance.” The Congress party, Left parties, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi and the Indian Union Muslim League were among the SPA constituents.
Stalin said devising a poll strategy whenever the nation’s democratic and pluralistic values were threatened was the “political dharma” of his father and the party’s deceased patriarch M Karunanidhi.
Following the late leader’s “political dharma”, the DMK has posted a massive victory and this has “amazed the north, united the south and astounded the whole country”, he said.
The DMK chief exhorted his party cadre to take part in the birth anniversary celebrations of Karunanidhi here on June 3 to “thank the great leader (Karunanidhi) who gave us the strategy for victory and the people who made us win.”
