Members of the minority community are struggling because of the AIADMK and PMK whose MPs voted in Parliament helping the BJP enact legislations such as the Citizenship Amendment Act, DMK president M.K. Stalin said in Jolarpet on Monday. However, as the elections have approached, these parties are now acting as saviours of minorities, he charged while campaigning for candidates from the DMK and IUML contesting in Assembly constituencies in Tirupathur district.
“AIADMK’s MPs supported the Central government’s decision to revoke the special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution, the Triple Talaq bill and even the Citizenship Amendment Act. But now in their election manifesto, they are making false promises that they will urge the Central government to repeal the Act [CAA],” he said.
Mr. Stalin added that had the 10 MPs of AIADMK and one MP from PMK voted against CAA in the Rajya Sabha, the legislation would have fallen through in the initial stages. “A total of 125 MPs supported the Bill in the Rajya Sabha and 105, including DMK and Congress voted against it. Had the 11 from AIADMK and PMK voted against it, the CAA wouldn’t have come into force [some MPs of other parties were absent]. We conducted a series of protests against the CAA,” he added.
Mr. Stalin said that once the DMK comes to power, the CAA will not be implemented in the State. “The three farm laws, which AIADMK and PMK supported, will also not be implemented in Tamil Nadu once we come to power. We will pass a resolution against them like Punjab, Kerala and West Bengal did. For the 124th day, the farmers’ protest is going on and Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, who identified himself as a farmer, has termed the protesters as brokers,” Mr. Stalin added.
Stating that “Stalin sonnadhay than seivan, seivadhu than solluvan" (will fulfil what is promised and will promise what will be fulfilled), he read out the key points in the DMK’s manifesto. He also mentioned specific development plans in Tirupathur district. Some of them are a government medical and polytechnic college for Tirupathur, an industrial park, development of Jalagamparai waterfalls as a tourist spot and setting up a mango pulp industry and a herbal farm.