DMK president M.K. Stalin on Saturday affirmed that his party would stand by minorities.
“Helping the minorities is our duty and should not be construed as going against the majority. The DMK does not distinguish between majority and minority communities,” Mr. Stalin said, addressing the Christmas celebrations hosted by the Christuva Nallenna Iyakkam.
Hitting out at the Centre, he said the DMK had prevented the BJP from rearing its head in Tamil Nadu, and exhorted the people to take a vow to dislodge the party at the national level.
Terming Narendra Modi a ‘sadist’ Prime Minister, the DMK leader said that Mr. Modi did not find time to visit Tamil Nadu in the wake of Cyclone Gaja last month and meet the affected people. On the other hand, Mr. Modi was quick to express his regret and visit Gujarat and Maharastra when those States were struck by disasters. However, when such a calamity struck Tamil Nadu, the Prime Minister did not even send a message expressing regret. “That is why I described him as a sadist Prime Minister,” he said.
Cyclone relief
While the State government had sought ₹15,000 crore for carrying out relief work, the Centre had sanctioned just ₹300 crore, he said.
Though the State government had given all necessary details regarding the cyclone’s impact, the Centre was seeking needless information and delaying the sanction of funds. The relief work was being executed with State funds. The situation was the same when the State was devastated by disasters in the past, Mr. Stalin said.
Rev. Devadas Ambrose, Bishop of Tiruchi - Thanjavur Diocese, D. Chandrasekaran, Bishop, Tiruchi-Thanjavur Diocese, CSI, Ezra Sargunam, Bishop, Evangelical Church of India, S. Inigo Irudhayaraj, president, Christuva Nallenna Iyakkam and K.N. Nehru and K. Ponmudi, former DMK Ministers, took part in the event.