Will not step back from goal of prohibition: Thirumavalavan

CHENNAI: Calling the women’s wing conference a ‘milestone’ in the VCK’s political history as it attracted the attention of the nation, party leader and MP Thol Thirumavalavan said it was an ‘apolitical event’ with a single and noble agenda for the welfare of the masses.

He said that he would not take a step back from his decision to fight against liquor and drugs and he would rather turn his party into a ‘social movement’ like Periyar’s Dravidar Kazhagam to achieve his goal.

“Alcohol is the mother of all crime. We must fight for total prohibition. They are weighing us like an average politician. But I will not take a step back from this stand. I would rather move away from electoral politics and turn the party (VCK) into a social movement, like Periyar’s (DK), to achieve our goal,” said Thiruma addressing the huge gathering demanding total prohibition at Ulundurpet on Wednesday.

“Many ridiculed for inviting the ruling DMK to the conference. By deputing two of its senior leaders to the conference, the DMK expressed that it is in principle with the VCK in achieving total prohibition. It is a victory for us,” he said and continued that the AIADMK regime had its role in commercialising liquor through government agencies, but none talk about it as they have an agenda.

DMK’s organising secretary RS Bharathi said that the ideological enemy and political hyenas anticipated that there would be a crack in the DMK-VCK alliance. But Thiruma destroyed their calculation by participating in DMK’s diamond jubilee celebration in Kancheepuram and vouched that VCK would continue its fight along with DMK against ideological enemies.

Earlier in the programme, the VCK party adopted resolutions demanding the Union Government declare a national-level policy on total prohibition under the provision of Article 47 and enact a special law to achieve it and the Tamil Nadu government to come up with a timeframe to close down the Tasmac outlets in the State.