Dismissing the Opposition criticism of his visit to the national capital for participating in the Niti Aayog meet and the meeting with the prime minister as borne out of vengeance, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President MK Stalin said on Sunday that it had rattled the rivals.
“It is usual for our political enemies to spew vengeance and take pleasure in hurling imaginary reasons like carrying ‘white flag’ in the backdrop of the Enforcement Directorate’s raids on TASMAC so as to safeguard from further action by the central agency. They ask why I am participating in the Niti Aayog meet now having skipped it in the past,” Stalin said in a letter to the party cadre.
“I have made public my visit to the national capital, unlike one (AIADMK general Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami), who rushed to Delhi following the raids on his close relatives and business partners in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka and told the media that he had come to visit his party office but changed four vehicles to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah to pledged the party betraying the cadre,” read the letter asserting that the DMK had along been firm in either extending support on remaining in the Opposition.
“No other party in the country has been targeted by the ED, Income Tax and CBI like the DMK. We are carrying out a legal battle. Pledging the party following threats and intimidation is habitual for those criticising us. For us the state’s rights are paramount and we have never compromised on that score. Since the TASMAC cases are a fall out of the cases registered during the AIADMK regime, and as such there is the need for the DMK to be subservient,” he clarified.
“Former prime minister, the iron lady Indira Gandhi, has said half a century ago that the DMK is known for being firm in either extending support or in opposing. Former prime ministers Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh and other senior leaders knew this very well,” he said, adding that Prime Minister Modi welcomed all the chief ministers attending the event and they had a normal and cordial conversation with him.
“It has been the consistent stand of the DMK that the country cannot progress without the contribution of the states. The meeting too was on those lines and this I had to share with you. Tamil Nadu’s contribution has been significant in the nation’s development in the last four years. Further, the DMK, a patriotic movement, has always been in the forefront when it comes to the security of the country. For political stand is different from cooperating with the Government on the country’s interest and only on that count I participated in the Niti Aayog meet and met the Prime Minister to press for expediting pending projects in Tamil Nadu and demand new ones,” the letter explained.