'One Nation, One Election' will usher in dictatorship, says CM Stalin

CHENNAI: Appealing to BJP’s allies not to support “anti-federal One Nation, One Election (ONOE) proposal,” Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday said that it will only contribute to establishing a unitary form of government at the expense of destroying states and make incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi a dictator.

Speaking at the third state conference of the DMK legal wing in the city, Stalin said, “The BJP-led Union government is trying to push the country towards a unitary culture comprising one religion, one language, one culture, one dress and one food. They have raked up the ONOE to destroy states to create a unitary government.”

Remarking that the ONOE was part of BJP’s long-term agenda to push the country towards killing diversity in the country, the CM said, “It will contribute to a unitary form of governance. It will lead to concentration of power in the hands of one person. This will not bode well even for the BJP. The legislation would only help turn incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi into a dictator.”

NDA constituents must not fall into BJP’s trap: DMK president

Stalin cautioned NDA members supporting the BJP for “political reasons” not to fall into the “trap set by the saffron party and outfits operating as the brain of the party. “I appeal to them not to support the ONOE. Supporting the BJP regime might be your personal choice. But, any political outfit believing in democracy must not support laws contrary to the federal principles of the country,” the DMK president said.

Asserting that the ONOE must be opposed till the very end to safeguard the principles of federalism and the Constitution, the CM warned of the saffron party’s ulterior motives. He claimed that the BJP would slowly plant ideas in society against those hindering its action plan. “They will get many sidekicks to speak for them. They will spread fake news using media under their control, and trigger debates, and engage in unlimited slander. They will defame people with blatant lies. The WhatsApp university of the BJP will work in full swing. We must overcome all this and fight to win,” the CM remarked.

Don’t change Governor, quips CM

Rebutting Governor Ravi’s charges of anti-constitutional acts, the CM said, “Which Governor (is saying this)? The same Governor who exited without waiting for the customary rendering of the national anthem at the end. Do not replace him just because I am criticising him.”

The more he (RN Ravi) speaks, the more BJP gets exposed, helping the Dravidian principles reach the people far and wide. And the people understood the fairness of the slogan of State autonomy, added Stalin. He described the Governor as one of the motivational sources for the energetic articulation of Dravidam.