Panneerselvam defends attack on DMK, asks if it was wrong to expose "betrayal"

Addressing the valedictory function of the centenary here, he recalled that the party had printed DMK leader M K Stalin's name on the invite and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai had also urged him to participate.

Rather than accepting the "honour" bestowed by the government, Stalin had given extraneous reasons, a 'pre determined decision', not to take part in the event, he said On Stalin's charge that the events targeted his party and its late leader M Karunanidhi, the Deputy Chief Minister said they had to mention the 'betrayals' of the then DMK government on issues like Cauvery, while speaking of the achievements of late AIADMK leaders MGR and Jayalalithaa over issues like Cauvery.

"How can we avoid mentioning betrayal of DMK on Cauvery, the Sri Lankan Tamils issue and ceding of Katchatheevu islet when that party was in power ?" he asked.

Referring to the killings of Tamil people in Sri Lanka (in 2009, during the civil war) when DMK and its ally Congress were in power at the State and Centre respectively, he alleged that no efforts were taken to halt it.

He recalled various steps taken by Jayalalithaa like seeking economic sanction against Sri Lanka and said the then Chief Minister Karunanidhi observed a fast for a few hours in 2009 and announced that the war has ended.

"The Sri Lankan Tamils, believing his word that the war had ended after his three hour fast here for their cause,came out of hiding only to be killed," he alleged.

He also cited ceding of Katchatheevu islet to Sri Lanka and the legal efforts taken by Jayalalithaa to try and retrieve it.

"Is speaking about such historical facts wrong?" he asked.

All those who opposed DMK over the Sri Lankan issue in 2009 were now maintaining a studied silence as they were going to strike an alliance with the main opposition party, he said.

He mocked MDMK chief Vaiko who had stood against the DMK over the Lankan issue for saying that he would "never sleep" till Stalin was made Chief Minister.

"Vaiko can never sleep...Stalin cannot become the Chief Minister..only this is going to happen," he said.

Panneerselvam also slammed AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran, a rival to the welfare legacy of Jayalalithaa, saying AIADMK is a people's movement run according to democratic principles and nobody can even touch it.

Notwithstanding any "mega coalition" to be propped up by the DMK and any "conspiracy," it was the AIADMK that would emerge victorious at future hustings, he said.