The DMK on Tuesday issued a clarification over its leader and former Chief Minister MK Stalin’s purported remarks that the TVK-Congress government would last for three months and denied having any intention to topple the Vijay government in Tamil Nadu.
In a statement, former minister and senior DMK leader Thangam Thennarasu claimed that Stalin’s remarks on the future of the Vijay-led government had been misrepresented.
“What Stalin said has been misrepresented as though he predicted the government would not last even three months and would fall. What he said was that the government’s functioning appeared as though it would last three months, not six months,” Thennarasu said.
He further added, “Toppling the government is neither the intent of our party president, nor has he said so.”
Stalin had earlier said that the DMK would not criticise the Vijay-led government for six months. However, Thennarasu said that the situation became so bad that it forced him to make those observations.
“Though a month has passed since the new government took over, the print and electronic media are full of news about murders, dacoities, sexual violence and drug abuse. Worse, TVK members themselves are involved in crimes. While a woman TVK worker was sexually assaulted by her own party colleagues, no action has been taken either against the culprits or the party legislator who protected them. Ironically, the woman had been expelled from the party, exposing the true colours of the party claiming to be the ‘force of purity’,” he added.
Stalin’s alleged remarks sparked criticism from former allies, including the CPI(M), as they argued that the new government should be allowed time. Leaders of other parties have also criticised Stalin for being a prophet of doom.