Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], October 12 (ANI): Amid friction between INDIA bloc allies, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader TKS Elangovan on Monday lashed out at the Congress party over its agitation in the state, asking "what kind of show is this?" following the detention of Congress cadres by police during a protest.
Questioning the motive and necessity of the Congress's demonstration against its own ruling alliance partner in Tamil Nadu, the senior DMK leader expressed strong displeasure over the public standoff, emphasising that alliance etiquette should have been maintained instead of creating street spectacles.
"In Delhi, Rahul Gandhi was fighting... Here, the Vijay government is arresting cadres who were fighting for the cause of Congress. Here, Rahul Gandhi and Vijay are speaking as friends. What kind of show this is, I don't know," Elangovan said.
Questioning why the DMK should support or march alongside the party under such circumstances, he added, "Funny people they are. Why should we join them? They say immediately after elections, for the sake of two ministerial berths, that they will join the TVK alliance and even in the next Parliament elections be with the TVK alliance. What kind of a statement is that?"
The DMK leader noted that it was DMK Parliamentarians who had to step in on the ground. "Our MPs went there and agitated. A. Raja and Thamizhachi Thangapandian organised an agitation protest; only then were these people released," he pointed out.
However, on the issue of the Election Commission, Elangovan reiterated that the DMK maintains an uncompromising stance against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
"Our leader has already issued a strong statement against the CEC. In Parliament, we will fight against it. If anybody brings a bill against the CEC, we will support the bill," Elangovan asserted.
Asked about the Centre designating specific, limited spots for demonstrations in New Delhi, the DMK leader stated that fixing earmarked venues is standard practice, but detaining peaceful demonstrators is unacceptable.
"Even for us, protest venues are limited to two or three places in Chennai, like Saidapet. So, fixing a place for protest is nothing wrong. But arresting the people who are protesting is wrong," he said.
Elangovan also hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre over the handling of judicial and institutional matters, alleging that the ruling dispensation is attempting to "kill democracy" and turn the country into "Hitler's Germany."
When asked about former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan moving the High Court in the Masapatti case, Elangovan declined to comment, stating he was not aware of the facts.
Highlighting the party’s long history and capability in managing diverse political coalitions, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader Ezhilan Naganathan asserted that the DMK is a "party of self-respect" that cannot be taken for granted when it comes to alliance dynamics.
Speaking to ANI on the INDIA bloc protest march and the party's participation, Naganathan made it clear that while the party supports democratic causes, it operates on its own terms and self-respect.
He said, "Our leader clearly said that if the Congress is not a part of the INDIA alliance, we'll participate. So if the call has been there, we will participate. We are a party of self-respect. You just come and flip over your alliances just like that, and again ask to participate. We are very much in support of whatever CJP youngsters are protesting. Our leaders have condemned their arrest. So we are having our own mechanisms. DMK is one of the main political parties that initiated the formation of the coalition governments, as history would say. United Front is our experiment. National Front is our experiment. Even the NDA one is an experiment. So we have experience with non-Congress, non-BJP coalitions, and we have done well successfully also." (ANI)
"What kind of show is this?": DMK's TKS Elangovan questions Congress after cadres arrested in TN
