CHENNAI: After cancelling protests in rain-hit Chennai and near-by districts, the DMK on Tuesday announced that its Working President M K Stalin will lead the anti-demonetisation agitation in Madurai on Wednesday morning as part of the Opposition’s plans to corner the Union Government. The announcement by the party came as speculation mounted that the BJP and the DMK might come together following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with its ailing chief M Karunanidhi here on Monday. The DMK and Stalin had clarified that the meeting had nothing to do with politics, as it was just a courtesy call.
However, the party called off the anti-demonetisation protests in Chennai and neighbouring districts due to rains. On Tuesday, the DMK released a list of leaders who would preside over the protest demonstrations in different parts of the state where the functionaries are slated to attend the stir wearing black shirts. According to the list, Stalin will lead the protest in Madurai in southern Tamil Nadu while other senior leaders Durai Murugan and I Periyasamy will be heading the demonstrations at Tiruchirapalli and Dindigul, respectively. Stalin’s half-sister and DMK Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi will be leading the protest in Coimbatore.
The DMK, an ally of the Congress, had earlier said it would observe November 8, the first anniversary of demonetisation, as ‘Black Day’ and stage demonstrations in all district headquarters of Tamil Nadu. Stalin had last month urged DMK workers to wear black shirts who would observe November 8 as “Karuppu Dhinam” (Black Day) and stage protests. Eighteen political parties, including Congress, have decided to hold protests in every state against the NDA government’s decision on note ban, saying it had “caused hardship to the people.”
