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Debjit Mukherjee: Opposition parties in Tamil Nadu on Monday lashed out at the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) for Sunday’s comments by party leader A Raja warning the Centre not to push Tamil Nadu to “seek an independent country”.
While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) termed Raja’s comments as evidence of his party’s “divisive” attitude, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) said the party’s mindset was getting exposed by the comments.
The DMK came out with a clarification on the comments later in the day saying the comments were the result of the leader’s frustration.
While addressing a party meeting of representatives of urban local bodies on Sunday in Namakkal in western Tamil Nadu, Raja had said, “I am telling Amit Shah and the Prime Minister with utmost humility, I implore you in the presence of (our) leaders on the dais, our chief minister is journeying on the path of Anna (former chief minister and DMK founder CN Annadurai), do not push us on the path of Periyar. Do not make us seek a separate country, give state autonomy, we will not rest till then.”
An icon of the Dravidian movement, Thanthai Periyar had stood for an independent Tamil Nadu. However, the party had moved away from his stand and backed Indian integrity and democracy later. The party has maintained that India is a Union of states, citing the Constitution, to seek functional autonomy.
Reacting to Raja’s comments, state BJP vice president, Narayanan Tirupathi, said on Monday his words showed DMK’s “divisive” attitude.
“But what is shocking and surprising is that chief minister M K Stalin remained a mute spectator. I condemn his silence. He has taken an oath of office affirming allegiance to the Constitution. Tamil Nadu’s ruling party should understand that India has created states for its administrative purposes, and that is precisely what the Constitution says,” Narayanan said.
Senior AIADMK leader Raj Satyan said the comments were exposing the DMK’s mindset. “Till they were in the opposition they were saying central government and for the past one year since they formed the government, they have been saying union government showing their divisive attitude under the guise of state autonomy and state rights,” the AIADMK leader said.
The DMK said Raja’s comments were the result of the Centre’s policies. “The Centre is not giving us powers to run the state. They have taken away powers to levy taxes by way of GST. We have to decide on expenditure without knowing the revenue,” said senior DMK leader TKS Elangovan.
Party spokesperson Constantine Ravindran added that Raja made it amply clear that the party was on the path of Anna, supporting India’s integrity and the principles of democracy. “Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi has not given his assent to several Bills passed by the State Assembly, which was hampering development,” he said, asking whether this was the idea of the Union government.
Under the BJP-led Union government dispensation, the state government does not have any rights whatsoever, he added.
It may be recalled that Raja’s comment comes against the background of DMK sticking to the Tamil term ‘Ondriya Arasu’ (Union government) while referring to the Centre since it formed the state government in May 2021. Though ‘Mathiya Arasu (Central government)’ is the relatively more common usage, the DMK has stuck to ‘Ondriya Arasu’ to underscore “federalism” principles and to push for “state autonomy”.
The DMK had also said that India is a Union of states according to the Constitution.
However, the BJP and several right wing activists have claimed that ‘Ondriya Arasu’ usage had traces of divisive tendencies.
