Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Monday called for the opposition unity to fight the BJP-led Central government’s efforts towards reducing the power of the states. Stalin demanded that the constitution be amended to “grant more power to states.”
Delivering his acceptance speech after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi released the first volume of his autobiography titles, Ungalil Oruvan (One Among You), Stalin sought support from the parties like the Congress, CPI(M), and other regional outfits, to take forward the demand to amend the Constitution giving more power to the states. “The country is facing a big threat from divisive forces. The political parties that believe in secular values will have to come together to save the country protecting the founding principles of India by defeating them,” Stalin said.
“We should join hands to prevent states from turning into powerless zones after having been stripped off their rights over finance, thoughts and functioning. All parties in the country should join hands in this fight,” Stalin added. Appealing to all leaders across the country who believe in secular values, Stalin said: “Our Indian Union is facing a big threat from divisive forces. We all need to come together to defeat them and protect the founding principles of India.”
Fight is against official machinery
Bihar opposition leader and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav used the platform to pitch for reservation in the judiciary. “It is time for is to come on to the streets to fight for reservation,” Yadav said. He also pushed for a caste-based census in the country.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah took on the BJP and the central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying, it had killed the idea of India. “The freedom to choose is not anymore ours. Even if I follow a religion, how much do I follow is dictated to us.” Stating that Jammu and Kashmir, which was a state was split and the statehood was taken away without any consultation, he said: “What starts in Jammu and Kashmir does not end in Jammu and Kashmir. The experiment that is conducted in Jammu and Kashmir can be done in other places. For the first time, a state was bifurcated and reduced to a Union Territory.”
Asking “what if Governor’s rule is imposed in Tamil Nadu or Kerala tomorrow? What if Tamil Nadu is split into three states?”, Omar went on to say that “the fight we wage against is not against a political party but against the official machinery.” Omar also said that the political parties in various states should come together and fight together against the fascist forces.
Rahul recalls his Tamil connection
Later delivering the special address, Rahul Gandhi asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi: “Tamil Nadu is 300 years old. How can you take away the voice of the people?” Recalling the Tamil culture and his speech in Parliament recently, saying: “You [the BJP] cannot rule Tamil Nadu for your entire life”. Rahul spelled out the reason why he mentioned Tamil Nadu so many times in his speech. “I realised I had mentioned Tamil Nadu many times in my speech, and said I am a Tamil when a journalist asked me because my blood is with your soil.”
Rahul said that it was a sad experience losing his father. “Very difficult experience. But also an experience I learnt from. And so I realised that I do have the right to call myself a Tamil,” Gandhi said. Gandhi also took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying he insults the state and country. “When the prime minister comes here, he tries to impose some other ideas. He insults the state and country.” He also pointed that the prime minister doesn’t understand what Tamil Nadu needs. “When the voice of Tamil Nadu says NEET is not needed and GST harms productive states, you don’t respect it. Why do you disrespect,” he asked Modi. Saying that the BJP hasn’t understood Tamil Nadu, and the nation: “3000 years from today you cannot impose anything on the people of Tamil Nadu. It is a misunderstanding that the prime minister has.”