Avoid statements which give mileage to 'toxic' forces: Stalin to DMK leaders

Days after A Raja’s statements on shudras and Manusmriti triggered a massive row, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK chief M K Stalin on Monday asked his party leaders and cadres to avoid making statements that might give mileage to “toxic political forces” that lack “political ethics, honesty, and dignity”.

Stalin’s statement is seen as a message to leaders like Raja and senior state minister K Ponmudi who described social welfare measures as “freebies” at a time the party is opposing usage of the term.

The statement also took a direct dig at the BJP, which has been targeting Raja for his comments on shudras, accusing the saffron party of running a “misinformation campaign” against the DMK government by releasing “editing” video clips containing speeches of party seniors.

“The Dravidian Model of Governance is now being praised by the whole of India. But some political forces in Tamil Nadu are continuously trying to bring disrepute to the government. We will have to continue our journey without giving any space to those forces,” Stalin told his partymen.

Reminding the partymen that the DMK has come to power in Tamil Nadu after a decade, Stalin appealed to them to work “tirelessly” to fulfill the expectations of the people and take the schemes of the government to every beneficiary across the state.

Read | BJP leader ‘threatens’ DMK MP A Raja over caste remarks, held

“It is in these circumstances that speeches made by office bearers of the party, ministers, MPs, and MLAs are being edited, twisted, and tweaked deliberately by some toxic forces,” Stalin said, and quoted Periyar’s words that “one can fight with thousand people with dignity but cannot fight with even one person who doesn’t have dignity”.

Observing that the journey undertaken by the DMK is long, Stalin asked his cadres to tread cautiously in a way that they don’t give space to the toxic forces. “Let us take our schemes to the people who will speak about them. The people will counter the narrative of these toxic forces,” he said.

Stalin said DMK has been compelled to fight with some “toxic forces” in Tamil Nadu who have no “political ethics, dignity, and honesty” and are hellbent on getting a toehold in the state. “Such forces are trying to use opportunities like this (statements made by leaders) to grow here,” he said.

He also told the cadres that the party was now in saddle and its actions should speak more. “A figure that comes after having immersed itself in the mud will taunt us. People like us who take bath in a river shouldn’t treat them on par with us. We will have to step aside a bit and continue with our work,” he added.