Chennai, DMK President M.K. Stalin on Wednesday said the BJP-led government at the Centre is promoting communalism in the garb of patriotism and his party will fight it.
Stalin also said the central government is now turning into a “centralised government” with ideas like ‘one nation-one election’ and others.
He was speaking at a public meeting held here to mark the first death anniversary of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President M. Karunanidhi.
According to Stalin, “the BJP government is stoking up communalism in the guise of patriotism and the DMK will oppose it.”
Stalin said Article 370 conferring special status to Jammu & Kashmir should not have been revoked. Till an elected government is there, no action should be taken relating to J&K.
He said nobody has to teach patriotism to DMK as the party had extended support to the Indian government when the country had fought wars earlier.
On the absence of former Chief Minister of J&K Farooq Abdullah at the rally, Stalin said he was supposed to attend but was not able to do so.
“That black history is being reenacted today,” Stalin said, recalling the arrest of Sheikh Abdullah – Farooq Abdullah’s father and former Chief Minister of J&K.
The DMK leader also criticised the central government for the introduction of reservations for economically weaker sections of society.
Praising Karunanidhi as a great leader and who fought for federalism, Trinamool Congress leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said importance should be given to regional languages and mother tongue if there has to be a united India.
“We are Indian. But we have mother tongue and our own identity,” she said.
Recalling leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Subhash Chandra Bose, B.R. Ambedkar and others Banerjee said those leaders fought for the people and she too can fight and is not afraid.
“We can battle against any atrocity. We can sacrifice our life but not Tamil land, Bengal land,” Banerjee said.
She said political decisions should be taken after taking into confidence the people of that state.
Banerjee also unveiled Karunanidhi’s statue installed here at the office of DMK party mouthpiece ‘Murasoli’.
