DMK will not ally with BJP: Stalin

DMK will never ally with the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which has “dumped” the principles of social justice, secularism, equality and federalism in its last 4.5 years of rule at the Centre, party president M K Stalin said here on Friday.

Stalin’s stinging statement was in response to Modi’s open invitation to “old friends” that the doors of the BJP was always open for parties during an interaction with party workers through the popular NaMo app on Thursday.

Modi’s comments that “BJP’s doors for old friends and parties” are always open could be interpreted in many ways – it could be the PM’s way of keeping options open with the DMK for a post-poll tie-up or even a message to former allies like TDP and AGP who have left the NDA-II or include old allies like the AIADMK, PMK and BJD, who were part of NDA-I.

As Modi’s statement indicated a possible rapprochement between DMK and BJP at a later stage, Stalin said it was “strange” and nothing but an “election campaign strategy” Modi, who has “destroyed every institution and encouraged speeches that drive a wedge between communities”, comparing himself with former prime minister A B Vajpayee.

DMK was part of the NDA-I from 1999 to 2003 during which its nominees Murasoli Maran, T R Baalu and A Raja were members of the Vajpayee cabinet. However, the party quit the NDA in 2003 and joined the UPA in 2004. Since then, the DMK has ruled out any alliance with the BJP.

Stalin’s statement also specifically mentions that the DMK will not do any business with Modi-led BJP, which can be interpreted as the regional party being open to doing business with the national party if it is helmed by someone other than Modi, not immediately, but at a later stage.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi is no Vajpayee. The NDA-II led by Modi is not a healthy coalition set-up. Modi is not in power to uphold the values that India stands for. The rights of Tamil Nadu have been snatched only during Narendra Modi’s tenure and people will not forget the injustice,” Stalin said in the statement.

For Modi, social justice, secularism, equality and federalism are “unwanted words” and has dumped their principles. “I firmly state once again that the DMK will never ally with the Narendra Modi-led BJP which has been governing India by adopting a confrontationist stand,” he said.

Stalin’s statement will come as music to Congress, which is already enthused with the DMK announcing an alliance with it for the Lok Sabha polls due in May. The DMK is the first regional party to put its weight behind the idea of Rahul Gandhi as the next Prime Minister.