Don’t teach patriotism to us: Stalin tells BJP

Continuing his attack on the BJP Government at the Centre for its “unilateral decision” to scrap Article 370, DMK President M K Stalin on Wednesday asked the saffron party not to “incite communal passions” in the name of “patriotism.”

Addressing a mega public rally here after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee unveiled the statue of late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi at the office of ‘Murasoli’, the party’s mouthpiece, on his first death anniversary, Stalin declared that the ideals propagated by his father were more relevant today since there seems to be a concerted effort to “assault” the federal structure.

Converting the event into an anti-BJP platform, Stalin and Banerjee warned the Centre not to pursue their policy of “one nation, one election and one ration card” and asked it to respect distinct cultures that exist in India. Banerjee appreciated the “courage” of Tamil people and sent out a message to the BJP that its attempts to isolate people in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal from their ideology and icons would never succeed.

“We are in India and we are Indians. But we belong to separate states and we have our own mother tongue and identity. That should be respected, and we cannot sacrifice those identities. Today, Farooq Abdullah (former J&K CM) was to address this gathering. But he is under house arrest in Kashmir. What is happening?” she asked.

“If they (Centre) take a decision on Tamil Nadu, they should ask people of Tamil Nadu and likewise they should elicit the opinion of people from West Bengal if they take any decision on the state. Taking unilateral decisions regarding states are unacceptable,” Banerjee said, referring to the Centre scrapping Article 370 and bifurcating Jammu and Kashmir.

On his part, Stalin reiterated the DMK’s position that no decision on Jammu and Kashmir should be taken till Assembly elections are conducted in the border state. “When we say that Article 370 that accords special status for Kashmiris should remain, we are questioned about our patriotism. We don’t need lessons on patriotism because we have stood by the country during troubled times. Don’t incite communal passions in the name of patriotism,” Stalin said.

In the morning, Stalin led a 3-km silent march from Anna Statue in Anna Salai to the memorial of Karunanidhi on the Marina Beach. In the evening, Banerjee unveiled the statue in the presence of Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, Dravidar Kazhagam leader K Veeramani and others.