'BJP enemy of Tamil culture, national unity': Stalin hits back at Nadda for attack on DMK

In a rejoinder to BJP president JP Nadda’s remark that the DMK was “inciting people against national spirit” and “sheltering those who were not working in the interest of the nation”, DMK chief MK Stalin on Tuesday lashed out at the centre's ruling party calling them “the enemy of Tamil culture and national unity."

Addressing the Tamil Nadu BJP’s executive committee meeting virtually on Monday, Nadda appealed to his party members to give a befitting reply to the Dravidian party in the assembly elections scheduled for 2021. He said that DMK had always been “inciting feelings against national spirit” and was “anti-development” and interest of the nation. 

Nadda wanted party members to highlight that with the Ram temple coming up in Ayodhya and the revocation of special status fo Jammu and Kashmir, India is one from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.

In response to Nadda's remarks, Tamil Nadu opposition leader lashed out at the BJP saying that it was threatening democracy across the country and that they were targeting the DMK in Tamil Nadu by riding on the back of the BJP’s puppet AIADMK government, which is ruling the state. 

Stalin emphasised that DMK was a Democratic Party that believed and worked towards development and national interests.

“Our party cadre has fought against the emergency and stood up for the rights of the people and for upholding democratic values in the country. But BJP has pushed India into an undeclared emergency, where state’s freedoms are being snatched away and diversity of the country is under threat,” Stalin said. 

The DMK president’s statement touched upon the house arrest of former leaders, intimidation against activists and the tendency of certain ruling party leaders to refer to political rivals as ‘anti-Indian’ and ‘anti-national’. It also mentioned the recent controversy where DMK MP Kanimozhi was asked if she was Indian for not speaking Hindi and the Yoga Webinar where non-Hindi speakers were asked to leave. 

“The BJP which is trying to buy political leaders in Tamil Nadu also, is against the unity of the country and the democratic values of the country,” the statement from Stalin said.