Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, CPI (M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechur and others during the “94th birthday celebrations of DMK President M Karunanidhi” at a function in Chennai on Saturday. PTI Photo by R Senthil Kumar
After wishing DMK supremo M Karunanidhi on his 94th birthday, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday flayed PM Narendra Modi and RSS saying, “We will not allow RSS and Modi to impose one idea on India… we will not stand and watch their ridiculous ideas.” In a bid to cobble the opposition together ahead of Presidential polls and the subsequent 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi addressed a public gathering where he took on the Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre for its demonetisation initiative last November saying it has wrecked the economy.
He also described Karunanidhi as the voice of Tamil Nadu, as opposed to Narendra Modi’s leadership, when he said, as quoted by news agency ANI, “When Karunanidhi ji speaks, it isn’t only he speaking, when he opens mouth it is the voice of people of Tamil Nadu that he is speaking.”
President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari and other leaders also greeted Karunanidhi on his birthday. Other leaders like Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Omar Abdullah, TMC’s Derek O’Brien, CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury, CPI’s D Raja were in Chennai to mark their respect for the senior most leader.
After being part of Congress-led UPA alliance for nine years, Karunanidhi quit in 2013. DMK leaders are celebrating its leader’s birthday as well as his diamond jubilee in Tamil Nadu Assembly.
