Recalling his incarceration during the Emergency, DMK president M K Stalin on Monday sought to position himself as the rightful heir to the party’s late patriarch M. Karunanidhi’s political legacy.
Addressing a meeting at Poosaripatty in Krishnagiri as part of his ‘Ungal Thogudhiyil Stalin’ (Stalin in your constituency) poll-eve outreach programme, he recalled his arrest on February 1, 1976, after the DMK government was dismissed. He was in early 20s then. “I show my MISA (Maintenance of Internal Security Act under which he was detained) scar, every time I am detained and asked for personal bodily identity marks by the police,” said the DMK leader displaying his scar in his arm from the alleged police attack during Emergency.
Hitting out at Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, Mr. Stalin alleged that the former’s tenure was mired in corruption. “Under the garb of a farmer, Mr. Palaniswami ‘sporting a green towel’ betrayed the farmers by supporting and enabling the passing of the farm laws. The government led by him, reaped corruption, even in Corona, taking commissions from [purchase of] bleaching powders to broom sticks,” he claimed.
Speaking from the home turf of the Rajya Sabha AIADMK MP K.P. Munusamy, Mr. Stalin took a swipe at him and said, he was “hearing reports of an impending split in the AIADMK due to Munusamy.” Mr. Munusamy was the first person to raise the banner of revolt against Sasikala’s hold over the party in the wake of the death of AIADMK leader and then chief minister Jayalalithaa.
In Dharmapuri, Mr.Stalin commenced his speech in an oath taking style with “I, M.K.Stalin,” –as if to underline his promise of returning his party to power.
He recalled his role as a “young mayor” of Chennai, and also read out portions of news reports from magazines and dailies, including The Hindu as a “testimony to his work” as a Mayor. He assured the audience of action on their complaints and petitions within 100 days of taking office. The DMK government’s role would be offering solace and confidence to agriculture and farmers, he said.
