Annamalai Hits Out at DMK, Terms Udhayanidhi Stalin as “Crown Prince”

Tamil Nadu’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chief K Annamalai has criticized the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government, asserting that it is centered around Udhayanidhi Stalin, whom he referred to as the “crown prince.” During the “En Mann En Makkal” path yatra’s third phase in Tamil Nadu’s Erode district’s Bhavani area, Annamalai expressed his concerns, accusing the government of neglecting the agriculture sector and farmers. He highlighted the DMK’s preference for opening liquor shops over supporting the agriculture sector, suggesting a bias against the welfare of farmers and the disadvantaged.

“DMK is ignoring the agriculture sector & farmers, but they are opening liquor shops. DMK government thinks poor people should stay poor. The state government is revolving all around their ‘prince’ Udhayanidhi Stalin,” Annamalai remarked during the Yatra.

Annamalai also drew attention to the controversy surrounding Santan Dharma, emphasizing that there are efforts to eradicate it in Tamil Nadu. He referenced historical instances, including an anecdote about English collector William Sen’s worship of the goddess Vedanayaki in 1802, to emphasize the resilience of ‘Sanatana Dharma’ against attempts to eliminate it. He stated, “In Tamil Nadu, few are trying to get rid of Sanatana, but there is a history that in 1802, the English collector William Sen went and worshipped the goddess Vedanayaki. When foreigners were not able to abolish ‘Sanatana Dharma’, how can this DMK abolish it?”

Annamalai also asserted that the DMK is detrimental to the public, comparing its impact to the harmful effects of smoking. “Like smoking is harmful to us, similarly DMK is harmful to the public. Prime Minister Narendra Modi should come to power for the third term with the people’s blessings. Many scandals including 2G have happened in the previous DMK-Congress alliance. Not even a small pin corruption complaint came up against any of the 68 ministers in PM Modi’s cabinet. BJP’s goal is to provide electricity and gas connections to every household water connection in the future,” he added.

In his critique, Annamalai accused the DMK party of favoring MP Kanimozhi, daughter of former Chief Minister Karunanidhi, while allegedly neglecting the promotion of other women leaders within the party. He contrasted this with the BJP’s approach, where he claimed that ordinary women are given leadership roles at the district level. Annamalai highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiatives, such as the Women’s Reservation Bill, aimed at empowering women from underprivileged backgrounds to become MPs and MLAs.

“There is no promotion for any women in the DMK party because there is the daughter of Karunanidhi, Kanimozhi Karunanidhi MP. Importance has been given only to her but in BJP only ordinary women are district leaders,” he stated. He continued, “PM Modi has brought the 33 per cent reservation for women for their welfare through the Women’s Reservation Bill. So that women belonging to poor households can also become MPs and MLAs. So I request women to strengthen the hand of PM Modi and make it happen in India.”

The “En Mann En Makkal” Yatra, which commenced from Bhavani Kooduthurai and concluded at Anthiyur Junction, received a warm reception from a large number of BJP cadres and the public. BJP leaders stated that the Yatra, organized ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, seeks to secure a decisive third term for the BJP government at the Centre under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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