Asserting that the BJP’s manoeuvres will never succeed in Tamil Nadu while the DMK remains, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday accused the saffron party of resorting to ever-newer shortcuts — most recently the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
“The BJP is fully aware that its daydream will never succeed in Tamil Nadu while the DMK is here, and hence they are trying ever-newer shortcuts. The SIR is one such measure they are using to intimidate us. But we will not succumb to threats from the fascist BJP-led Union government; we will face them like a strong mountain. RSS tactics will not work here,” he said, addressing frontline leaders and grassroots functionaries at a training programme on booth-level management near Mamallapuram.
Calling the 2026 Assembly election a battle to retain the DMK government, he said the contest is between a Tamil Nadu that holds high its distinctive identity and a government of “slaves” beholden to Delhi.
“It concerns the future of Tamil Nadu,” he added, making the electoral fight an ideological one. Urging functionaries and cadres to be vigilant about the SIR, Stalin — who is also DMK president — said it must be ensured that no genuine voter is left out of the exercise. “Our enemies are rattled by our victories in elections since 2019, and in 2026 too the DMK will return to power,” he said.
“We have not only stood firm against the fascist BJP rule, we have also won struggles that forced the withdrawal of three anti-farmer farm laws, among other victories. We have united many Chief Ministers against delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies and secured OBC reservation for MBBS seats under the All-India quota. All these have enraged the BJP, which is why they are seeking shortcuts,” he explained, adding that this resistance stems from the spirit of self-respect instilled by Dravidian icons — Periyar (E.V. Ramasamy), DMK founder ‘Anna’ (C.N. Annadurai) and ‘Kalaignar’ (M. Karunanidhi).
“I have repeatedly warned about the need to protect our land, language and dignity by defeating enemies and traitors of the Tamil race, whether they act directly or indirectly. We must win every Assembly constituency because the State is facing an invasion on social, political and economic fronts. Tamil Nadu is being wronged in many ways — in the name of Hindi/Sanskrit, through GST, NEET, and via the Governor and statutes that erode States’ rights. These are attacks on the State, and we alone have the strength to defeat them,” he said.