Panneerselvam defends attack on DMK, asks if it was wrong to

Press Trust of India  |  Chennai 

Ruling AIADMK Sunday slammed DMK for alleging that events related to former M G Ramachandran's birth centenary celebrations were used to target it,with Deputy O asking if it was wrong to speak of their 'betrayal' when in power.

Rather than accepting the "honour" bestowed by the government, had given extraneous reasons, a 'pre determined decision', not to take part in the event, he said

On Stalin's charge that the events targeted his party and its late leader M Karunanidhi, the Deputy said they had to mention the 'betrayals' of the then DMK government on issues like Cauvery, while speaking of the achievements of late AIADMK leaders MGR and over issues like Cauvery.

"How can we avoid mentioning betrayal of DMK on Cauvery, the Sri Lankan Tamils issue and ceding of when that party was in power ?" he asked.

Referring to the killings of Tamil people in (in 2009, during the civil war) when DMK and its ally were in power at the State and Centre respectively, he alleged that no efforts were taken to halt it.

He recalled various steps taken by like seeking economic sanction against and said the then Chief Minister observed a fast for a few hours in 2009 and announced that the war has ended.

"The Sri Lankan Tamils, believing his word that the war had ended after his three hour fast here for their cause,came out of hiding only to be killed," he alleged.

He also cited ceding of to and the legal efforts taken by to try and retrieve it.

"Is speaking about such historical facts wrong?" he asked.

All those who opposed DMK over the Sri Lankan issue in 2009 were now maintaining a studied silence as they were going to strike an alliance with the main opposition party, he said.

He mocked who had stood against the DMK over the Lankan issue for saying that he would "never sleep" till was made Chief Minister.

"can never sleep...cannot become the Chief Minister..only this is going to happen," he said.

also slammed AMMK leader T T V Dhinakaran, a rival to the welfare legacy of Jayalalithaa, saying AIADMK is a people's movement run according to democratic principles and nobody can even touch it.

Notwithstanding any "mega coalition" to be propped up by the DMK and any "conspiracy," it was the AIADMK that would emerge victorious at future hustings, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Sun, September 30 2018. 20:55 IST