Stalin accuses BJP of politicising Karur tragedy, calls party ‘parasite’

Describing the BJP as a “parasite”, surviving by “sucking the blood of others”, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin on Friday said the saffron party which had refrained from sending a delegation to Manipur had sent an MPs team to Karur, looking for an opportunity in the aftermath of the stampede which claimed 41 lives.

“The BJP had sent a delegation to Karur not out of concern for Tamil Nadu, but expecting political mileage, because assembly election is on the anvil. They had not sent a delegation to strife-torn Manipur or to Gujarat during the pogrom or to the Kumbh Mela tragedy. They are out to use this to either threaten or coerce somebody to serve their interest. When Tamil Nadu witnessed three major natural disasters, affecting thousands, the Union Finance Minister did not care to visit the state or extend financial relief, but had come to Karur. The BJP is a parasite surviving by sucking the blood of others,” Stalin said, inaugurating completed developmental works and laying the foundation for new programmes at the coastal Ramanathapuram district.

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The Chief Minister slammed the RSS for accelerating its divisive agenda and said, “In its centenary year, the RSS has accentuated the pace of carrying out its agenda. Opposing their designs to protect the country will continue even in the next DMK government to be formed after the election,” the Chief Minister made it clear.

He called the BJP-led Union Government as anti-federal with a motto of dismantling States by depriving them of their legitimate rights and welfare.

“Tamil Nadu is discriminated against and ill-treated in the share of GST revenue, by withholding funds for school education, NEET, blocking the Keezhadi archaeological excavation report to bury the antiquity of Tamils, Delimitation of constituencies. And it is with this BJP that the AIADMK has entered an alliance, becoming a pawn by signing a charter of slavery,” he reiterated his earlier charge and asked, “Is there any ideology for the alliance?” Then turning his ire on the principal opposition AIADMK, he said “Palaniswami (AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami) has been given an assignment to scout for allies, and he is going towns all over the state in search of partners. And his wait continues even as he criticises everyone.”

On the vexed fishermen issue, the Chief Minister demanded retrieval of Katchatheevu and blamed the Modi government for not being concerned about it since the affected ones are the fishermen of Tamil Nadu.Stalin alleged that the BJP government at the Centre gets “bitter” when it comes to “Tamils and Tamil Nadu”.

“Retrieval of Katchatheevu alone can bring a lasting solution to the plight of fishermen suffering at the hands of the Lankan navy. We have passed a resolution in the Assembly and sent it to the Union Government, which should have taken it up with the Sri Lankan Government. But the Modi government is not interested in this. The Prime Minister, during his visit to the island nation has not broached this. When the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister asserted that Colombo would never cede the islet in the Palk Strait, our External Affairs Minister should have countered it,” he said and asked, “Have Tamil Nadu fishermen become expendable? Are they not Indians? Why is Tamil Nadu being detested?”