Leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc including its member party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam have stressed on putting on an united front to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) organised a conference “Democracy Will Win” on Friday in Tamil Nadu. Among the attendees were leaders from the INDIA bloc parties — Congress, DMK, the Left parties — namely TN Chief Minister MK Stalin, CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury and CPI’s D Raja among others.
Headed by Lok Sabha MP Thol Thirumavalavan, VCK is a key ally of DMK in the southern state.
The conference came amidst the heated situation in Bihar with the strong probability of JD(U) President and state CM Nitish Kumar making yet another shift and returning to the saffron party-led NDA.
In the past week, two other members of the INDIA bloc — Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) — had announced that they would not contest the Lok Sabha polls with Congress in West Bengal and Punjab respectively.
Stalin’s Dig At The Saffron Party
Addressing the conference, Stalin pointed at the need for the INDIA bloc leaders to realise that BJP was rattled at the thought of opposition alliance winning even at a Mayor poll level. He said unity among the INDIA parties will ‘dislodge’ the saffron party from the Centre.
He slammed the BJP-led Centre for ‘cancelling’ the mayor-level election because victory for the AAP-Congress tie up was more probable.
“When they cancel even a mayor level poll, the INDIA alliance leaders must realise the fear of the BJP. We have to use this. We have to clasp the opportunity that we have now got. If we remain united, the BJP will be defeated. Democracy will win and time will say that. Thirumavalavan will also win and time will say that too,” the Tamil Nadu CM said.
Stalin in fact termed the saffron party to be “more dangerous than Coronavirus”, saying that tears were shed for those who walked hundreds of kilometres during the pandemic and even got crushed by trains. “Now the government is trying to divert people’s attention by consecrating the Ram temple,” Stalin said while taking a dig at BJP.
Kharge’s Reference to Ambedkar
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge who couldn’t take part in the conference sent his address to be read out by his party’s Lok Sabha MP Su Thirunavukkarasar.
Kharge underlined Dr BR Ambedkar’s warning against the ‘cult of personality’ and appealed for a political culture based on ‘reason and dialogue’.
“Today, as we navigate a nation, where personality often overshades principles, let us follow Ambedkar’s words and strive for a political culture based on reason, dialogue and inclusivity,” Kharge was quoted as saying in his address.
Further slamming the saffron party, Kharge said even funds for any disaster is released on the basis of a state’s ruling party. He cited the funds ‘held up’ for ration shops in Bengal as they did not have ‘supreme leader’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pictures.
CPI(M) & CPI’s Slam on BJP
Meanwhile, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said that INDIA bloc was committed to protecting the character of ‘our republic’ and that Tamil Nadu was leading the country in putting up a united fight against the BJP.
“The only slogan we have to give today is to save India in order to change India for the better,” Yechury said.
He said that the Opposition bloc should prepare itself for the “big political battle” against the forces dominating the “secular democratic republic”.
Meanwhile, CPI General Secretary D Raja referred to Ambedkar’s draft of the Constitution and said that he would not have wanted India to become a ‘Hindutva rashtra’.
Earlier, VCK Chief Thirumavalavan — in a resolution — had said that all EVMs in the general elections should be ‘100 per cent’ linked to Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) system and electors should deposit the VVPAT slips in separate boxes.
Only on the basis of VVPAT slips, should the results be declared by the election authorities, his resolution said.
In total, 33 resolutions proposed by Thirumavalavan were adopted in the meet.
(With PTI inputs)
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