Chennai: DMK trying to secure 33 % reservation for women

CHENNAI: The DMK is trying to ensure 33% reservation for women in the legislative and parliamentary elections, the party’s working president M. K. Stalin said on Sunday.

Speaking at the Women’s Day rally held under the aegis of his party’s women wing here, he said his DMK was involved in ensuring quota for women and expressed the hope that the reservation policy would materialise soon. “Who knows a situation may arise where the men will demand quota in future,” he said.

Mr. Stalin alleged that no progress has been made in women’s safety in Tamil Nadu. “There is no progress in the protection of women in Tamil Nadu,” he said and added that “all women should have the courage to be daring like IT employee Lavanya.  You can be achievers if you resolve,” he said and appealed to the women to constitute a helpline for women.

“Despite his health issues, our party chief (M. Karunanidhi) has concern for the well-being of the people... I wish to appeal to you as working president to form a helpline and help women in distress,” Mr. Stalin urged.

Stating that the BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on its way out, he said in a lighter vein that “smile” had a “great value.”  “You may recall that OPS (O.. Panneerselvam, Deputy Chief Minister) smiled at me when he served as Chief Minister and I smiled in return. Just because I smiled at OPS, he lost his post. Now Renuka Chowdhury (Rajya Sabha MP) had smiled at Modi. What will happen to Modi has now become a question mark,” he said apparently claiming that the PM will lose his post. DMK MP Kanimozhi, and Renuka Chowdhury too spoke on the occasion.