BJP has no right to criticise DMK: MK Stalin

Madurai: Questioning the BJP’s legitimacy in criticising the DMK stand on the Cauvery water row, the Leader of the Opposition M.K. Stalin lambasted the BJP government’s double standards. He said the Centre made a somersault by filing an application in the apex court against the formation of the Cauvery Management Board, while it has not done the same in the jallikattu issue.

When the DMK convened an all-party meeting to discuss the Cauvery water issue, the BJP and other small parties made hue and cry about it. “I don’t want to make comments against the small parities which have lost their relevance in Tamil Nadu politics, but the BJP has no legitimacy to criticism us,” he stated.
 Addressing the huge gathering after introducing DMK candidate Dr. P. Saravanan for the Thiruparankundram assembly constituency in the upcoming byelection, near Madurai on Sunday, Stalin said when the Supreme Court directed the Central government to constitute CWMB, the government filed a petition for modification of its order. “Why haven’t they done the same when the apex court banned jallikattu in Tamil Nadu,” he asked.

DMK, which always represents the interest of Tamil people, convened the meeting only after the ruling AIADMK failed to do it. “Representing the farmers, I have submitted a petition to the AIAMDK finance minister O. Panneerselvam to immediately call for an all-party meeting, but we did not receive any positive response from him,”.

“Only in Tamil Nadu are political parties not united on the Cauvery water issue. But our counterparts in Karnataka have set aside their political differences and convened an all-party meeting in the Assembly and immediately passed a resolution on the  issue,” Stalin pointed out.

He also criticised the AIADMK government stating it is become dysfunctional for the last five months. “The AIADMK government had been dysfunctional even during its previous regime,” he said. Stalin also sarcastically commented, “People have a doubt whether AIADMK or DMK is ruling the state.”

Pinning his hopes on Arulmigu Subramaniya Swamy, the first of the six abodes of Murugan, Stalin said the DMK would win the byelection in Thiruparankundram and set a new political trend in the state.