DMK chief Stalin backs Mamata

The opposition DMK in Tamil Nadu Monday extended support to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's 'fight' to "save democracy" amid her ongoing face-off with the Centre and the CBI.

DMK President MK Stalin nominated his sister and Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi to meet Banerjee in Kolkata, where she is on a sit-in against the Centre, and extend support.

Stalin spoke to the TMC supremo over the phone and wished her success in her ongoing protest, the party said.

In a dramatic showdown with the Centre, Banerjee embarked on a sit-in Sunday night to protest against the "insults" she faced at the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah.

She went on the protest hours after a CBI team that had gone to question Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar in connection with chit fund scams was detained in a rare face-off between the police establishments of the Centre and the state.

On Monday, the DMK said Stalin spoke to Banerjee over the phone.

"DMK President @mkstalin spoke to West Bengal Chief Minister @MamataOfficial over the phone and wished her success in the protest she has been holding since last night," a tweet in Tamil said.

Stalin told her that his party will always stand by "struggles in support of regional autonomy", it added.

Party sources said Kanimozhi has been deputed to extend support to Banerjee in person.

Earlier, Stalin tweeted his party will support the TMC chief in her 'fight' to "save democracy."

"The independence of every institution has been compromised under this fascist BJP Government. I stand with @MamataOfficial Didi in her fight to protect the federal structure of this country and to save democracy. #SaveDemocracy," he said in the tweet.

Stalin, Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, had attended a mega rally organised by Banerjee in Kolkata last month against the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre.

Most of the opposition leaders including Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Delhi, N Chandrababu Naidu and Arvind Kejriwal respectively have backed Banerjee on the issue.