DMK vows to continue protest until Centre withdraws rules

Chennai: Leading the first of the series of protest demonstrations by Opposition parties against the Centre’s ban on cattle sale for slaughter, leader of Opposition M.K. Stalin on Wednesday vowed to continue the agitations till the Centre withdraws the rules.

Hailing the stay order delivered by Madurai Bench of the Madras high court, he warned of another Marina revolution if the Centre refused to take back the notification.

Not only the DMK, but all Opposition parties are preparing to organise agitations, he added. A situation had arisen that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would decide what everyone should eat, he said and added that the fundamental rights granted in the Constitution had been snatched away.

When a case came up before the Himachal Pradesh High Court in 2007, demanding a ban on beef, the Centre said it could not make a legislation on the subject which came under state’s powers, Stalin said and asked why the Union government had issued the notification now.

He recalled the promises of Modi that he would generate two crore employment, besides depositing '15 lakh in everyone’s bank account. He also promised to set up Lok Pal, but none of the promises had been fulfilled.

He quoted BJP’s election manifesto for 2014 Parliament elections and said the party had spoken of a pluralistic India with the participation of all sections and flourishing of democracy, besides cordial relationship between the centre and state governments.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promise that all the Chief Ministers along with the Prime Minister would work as team India, Stalin alleged that state governments had been converted into municipalities by the BJP government.

Citing Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu reviewing the functioning of the state government at the secretariat and his warning that Centre’s co-operation would rely on state’s government’s functioning, Stalin described the events as a shame for the state government. He recalled that Tamil Nadu was in the forefront of raising the voice for state autonomy and that DMK passed a resolution in the Assembly demanding state autonomy.

Former Chief Ministers J. Jayalalithaa, O. Panneerselvam, besides Palanisami had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and submitted petitions, Stalin said and asked if any of the demands in the state government’s petition to the Centre had been fulfilled..