TN CM Stalin slams BJP, AIADMK; says DMK committed to protecting rights of Muslims

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, hitting out at the AIADMK and BJP, has assured the Muslim people that the DMK, led by him, will always be a party that protects their rights and secures rights for them. Stalin slammed the BJP-led Centre over the Waqf law amendment issue and asserted that it was only due to the legal fight of the DMK and others, a stay has been secured from the Supreme Court on provisions of that controversial amendment Act. The chief minister targeted the AIADMK over issues like the CAA and triple talaq and said due to AIADMK's "betrayal," on such matters, leaders of the main opposition party like Anwar Raja have quit that party and joined the DMK. Addressing a function here to mark the 1,500th birthday of Prophet Muhammad, Stalin said DMK founder CN Annadurai and late party patriarch M Karunanidhi met for the first time at Tiruvarur in a Milad-un-Nabi event and the bonding that grew between the two leaders was the foundation for Tamil Nadu's growth.

Pointing to the presence of Muslim leaders belonging to various parties, he said unity is the first step towards victory. Stalin cited the presence of IUML top leader KM Kader Mohideen, MMK chief Prof Jawahirullah, MJK's Thamimun Ansari and SDPI's Nellai Mubarak. Praising Prophet Muhammad's preachings, the chief minister said reformist leader Periyar EVR and iconic leaders Anna and Karunanidhi had hailed equality and love, taught by the prophet. Expressing deep concern over the situation in Gaza, the CM said there must be an immediate end to the atrocities faced by the Palestinians and urged the Central government to take resolute steps in this connection. It was Karunanidhi who declared a holiday for Milad-un-Nabi way back in 1969 and while the AIADMK regime rescinded it in 2001, the DMK government reinstated the holiday in 2006. Listing the welfare initiatives implemented by the DMK regime for Muslims, Stalin said it would take many hours to list all the schemes launched by the DMK government at various times for the Islamic people. Provision of 3.5 per cent internal reservation in the BC category, including Urdu-speaking Muslims in the BC list, starting a welfare board for minorities, forming Urdu Academy and the new under-construction Haj House near Chennai airport were among the string of initiatives mentioned by the chief minister. Referring to SDPI leader Nellai Mubarak's request seeking inclusion of content on Prophet Muhammad in school syllabus, the CM said it has already been included in the curriculum.

The chief minister, assuring the participants that the requests of the Muslim community would be considered, said: "Not only that; if Muslims face trouble, the first political outfit that comes to your supports is the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)." Further, he said: "It was the DMK which fought against the CAA (Amendment) with a true spirit of friendship." Without naming AIADMK chief and former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, Stalin said: "You know pretty well who asked if anyone was affected by that (CAA) and you under whose regime the Muslims were baton-charged for protesting against the CAA." Similarly, everyone is aware of the double standards adopted by the AIADMK when the Centre brought the Triple Talaq law (The Muslim Women --Protection of Rights on Marriage-- Act, 2019). That was why leaders like Anwar Raja quit the AIADMK for its betrayal and joined the DMK. He said: "Likewise, everyone saw the deceitful drama enacted by the AIADMK on the Waqf Amendment Bill. It was only due to the legal struggle of DMK and others that we have secured stay from the Supreme Court to the key provisions related to that amendment, brought by the BJP regime at the Centre." "Those who are involved in betrayal by supporting the BJP's cheap, despotic, autocratic politics should be boycotted," Stalin said without naming the AIADMK. The DMK chief said: "Always, the DMK will be one among you; the DMK will always protect the rights of the Muslim people and secure the rights of the Muslim people."