Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin slams PM Modi for pushing Uniform Civil Code

Chennai: DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for seeking to implement the Uniform Civil Code. Referring to Modi's remarks on the UCC, Stalin blamed him for attempting to completely 'disrupt the law and order situation' and cause 'religious violence.'

"Our Modi says that there should not be two types of laws in a country." The Prime Minister was hence thinking of winning the 2024 Lok Sabha polls by fanning communal sentiments and creating confusion in the country, the DMK chief alleged. "I am telling you categorically, people are ready to teach a fitting lesson to the BJP in the upcoming LS polls; you (people) should be prepared and be resolute (to trounce the BJP at the hustings)," he said.

The recent meeting of Opposition leaders in Patna to defeat the BJP in the LS polls has caused fear in Modi. Stalin hit out at Modi for not visiting the strife-torn Manipur, which is ruled by the BJP. "Manipur is burning for the past 50 days and 150 people have so far been killed. Thousands have fled the state. So far, the PM has not visited the state. Amit Shah held an all-party meeting only after 50 days," he said. Such was the deplorable state of governance of the Union government helmed by the saffron party. When this was the case, Modi commented on UCC implementation.

Recalling his incarceration during the infamous Emergency (1975-77), he said, "This is history, many people do not understand this history; when even Prime Minister Modi does not know it, what could I say? In sync with the DMK tradition, Stalin described his party as a 'family,' and hit back at the BJP for hurling the accusation of family politics. The Chief Minister said Modi has accused "us of doing family politics, true, this is family politics; DMK is comprised families and I am thanking him for mentioning that."

The party founder CN Annadurai addressed cadres as 'Thambi' (younger brother) and late party patriarch M Karunanidhi addressed party workers and the people as 'Udanpirappe' (brothers/sisters). Kalaignar (Karunanidhi) used to invite cadres to take part with their families in party conferences and demonstrations and this was the practice of the Dravidian movement. Such was the DMK's tradition of bonding as a family.

Stalin said Modi had made a mention that a vote for DMK would only lead to the growth of Karunanidhi's family. "Yes, Karunanidhi's family is Tamil Nadu and the Tamil people." Karunanidhi considered everyone jailed during the Emergency as his children. Hence, the PM's family politics remark matched that of the party's tradition of standing together as a family. For the past 50 years, the Dravidian movement is ruling Tamil Nadu. "My appeal is that the PM should talk after evaluating the growth Tamil Nadu has attained in the past 50 years."

The CM said Karunanidhi (1924-2018) was the architect of modern Tamil Nadu and his birth centenary (2023-24) was being celebrated now. Underscoring the late leader's 'list of achievements,' he said the incumbent DMK regime was following Karunanidhi's footsteps and provided people with the social justice-led Dravidian model of good governance.

"This is your government (TN state government), this is the Dravidian model of governance," he said and reiterated that all assurances made to the people by the DMK ahead of the 2021 Assembly elections were being fulfilled. People voted DMK to power in the state in 2021 and similarly, they should get ready to usher in a regime at the Centre in 2024 that would be secular and one that provided due rights to the states. Stalin made the remarks here in his address while presiding over the wedding of the granddaughter of a veteran party office-bearer. The wedding took place at an auditorium on the premises of the DMK headquarters 'Anna Arivalayam'. PTI