CAB: AIADMK attacks DMK, dubs rival 'servile' to Cong

The AIADMK on Saturday tore into the DMK over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, asking if it had ever spoken a word about getting Indian citizenship for Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka when it shared power at the Centre for 17 years years.

Joining issue with the DMK for opposing CAB since it did not envisage citizenship to those from Sri Lanka, among others, AIADMK daily 'Namadhu Amma' targeted the M K Stalin- led party's ally Congress as well. It alleged that since independence, Congress had ruled India for about 50 years and had never lifted a finger to come up with a permanent solution for refugees.

The AIADMK asked if DMK was not ashamed to try to gain "political mileage" by being "servile" to the Congress, which had such a track record on resolution of issues concerning refugees.

Demanding to know whether the DMK woke up to the plight of Lankan Tamils in India only now when the Centre came up with the CAB, the AIADMK said this legislation was for the well being of the 130 crore Indian people.

Mocking its arch rival, the ruling party in Tamil Nadu asked if the DMK had ever "spoken a word or sentence even for a moment anywhere, seeking citizenship for Eelam Tamils when it shared power at the Centre for about 17 years."

While Eelam meant homeland, "Eelam Tamils" are words routinely used in Tamil Nadu to denote the Tamil minorities of Sri Lanka. The AIADMK recalled that DMK was part of dispensations led by leaders, including I K Gujral, Deve Gowda and Manmohan Singh at the Centre.

The ruling party asked whether DMK had ever earnestly urged its coalition partners at the Centre over this issue and blamed it for its alleged silence in 2009 when Tamil civilians were killed in Sri Lanka in civil war.

During that period, the DMK held the reins of power both at the Centre and State, Namadhu Amma pointed out. The AIADMK also demanded that the DMK spell out steps it took to halt the United Progressive Alliance-led Centre's alleged support to the Sri Lankan government in the civil war.

DMK had been vehemently opposing the Citizenship Amendment Bill both inside and outside Parliament, saying it went against the interests of "minorities (apparently Muslim refugees) and Sri Lankan Tamils."

Stalin also had condemned Chief Minister K Palaniswami for the AIADMK's support to the CAB, saying the ruling party "betrayed minorities and Sri Lankan Tamils."

According to the CAB, which was adopted by both Houses of Parliament, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, who arrived in India till December 31, 2014 will be granted Indian citizenship.