Chennai: Opposition parties slammed the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and called for unity among secular, democratic forces, on the 94th birthday of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M. Karunanidhi on Saturday.
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah were some of the key leaders who attended the celebrations which also marked Karunanidhi’s 60 years of being a Tamil Nadu legislator without losing a single election.
The veteran leader of Dravidian politics, who has stayed kept a low profile in recent months due to ill healthm did not attend the celebratory function.
As the leaders heaped praise on Karunanidhi, they also conveyed that they stand united on a “common platform” to fight against “communalism and fascism” that is trying to divide the country.
“We will not allow the BJP or the RSS to impose its ideology on the country,” said Gandhi.
DMK working president and leader of opposition in Tamil Nadu, M K Stalin stating that the BJP failed to fulfill its promises said that the party at the centre was trying to “saffronise”.
Former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah said: “Today we have come together to tell BJP that you’ll never have an India without Congress and an India without the opposition.”
Yechury said opposition parties should join hands against the Narendra Modi government.