DMK keeps BJP bashing at bay but demonstrates ideological vigor

CHENNAI: The ruling DMK has kept its usual BJP bashing aside during Thursday’s visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the State capital for the inauguration of welfare schemes. The DMK regime on Thursday avoided spurning the PM and stuck to the hospitality protocol, as it did during Modi’s earlier visit to the State a few months ago.

Barring a few lower-level leaders, prominent DMK faces ensured that they did not publicly participate in the #gobackmodi campaign, which kept trending nonetheless on Twitter. If the information shared by Secular Progressive Alliance member parties is something to go by, the ruling party was learned to have requested its allies to keep their anti-BJP protests off Chennai on Thursday. A couple of parties had planned protests against the Modi regime viz-a-viz sharp rise in fuel price, unemployment, and inflation. Sources in the alliance disclosed that the DMK leadership had successfully requested its allies through one of its senior leaders to avoid creating an embarrassment in Chennai during the PM’s visit. However, the DMK also ensured that it did not appear to go soft against the saffron brigade. Anna Arivalayam made sure that it did not go overboard on the hospitality front. Hardly any posters or hoardings welcoming Modi were stuck by the DMK. For his part, Chief Minister M K Stalin also let his ideological firmness known by strongly raising State’s rights issues with the PM on the dais. An assertive Stalin had recalled his father M Karunanidhi’s “urimaikku kai kuduppom, uravukku kural koduppom” (We will extend a hand of friendship at the same time, we will raise our voice for our rights) statement to raise Katchtheevu retrieval, NEET exemption and release of GST dues issues, while the PM made a strong push for the National Education Policy.

Are you in Chennai? Then click here to get our newspaper at your doorstep!