MK Stalin rejects BJP's demand for invite to M Karunanidhi's birthday bash
CHENNAI: DMK working president M.K. Stalin on Thursday said he is not ready to invite the BJP to the diamond jubilee function of party president M. Karunanidhi since the saffron party had vowed to wipe out the Dravidian movement.
He said, “I am not ready to create an embarrassing situation for the BJP leaders by seating them in the diamond jubilee function”, reacting to a question on the views of BJP leaders that the DMK is uniting parties against the saffron party.
The DMK had organised the diamond jubilee of its leader Karunanidhi on June 3, which is also his 94th birthday. Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and other non-BJP leaders at the national level will attend the meeting.
Stalin also dismissed suggestions to meet Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao on the corruption complaints against ministers saying that there is no use in petitioning him. The party will take the corrupt activities of the ministers to the people, he added.
Stalin also promised support to National South Indian Rivers Linking Association president Ayyakannu’s protests in future. He also charged the state government with having no concern about farmers’ protests and solution to their problems.
He was speaking to reporters after taking part in the desilting works of Muthumariamman temple pond in his Kolathur constituency. Stalin said his party functionaries are carrying out desilting of water bodies throughout the state.
Accusing the AIADMK government of having no concern for drinking water problems, he said the previous DMK government had ensured that water bodies were desilted to store water. Besides, the DMK government had introduced several integrated water schemes, besides desalination plants in Nemili and Minjur.
Integrated drinking water schemes were implemented for Ramanathapuram, Vellore, Dharmapuri and Krishnagir, he noted and added that no such schemes are being undertaken by the present government. The AIADMK government is not concerned only about saving its government, merging the party and indulging in corruption.
Won’t attend M Karunanidhi function, says BJP
Close on the heels of Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan who had dared the DMK to invite the AIADMK and also the BJP for the birthday celebration of DMK president and former CM M. Karunanidhi, the BJP clarified that it would not attend the birthday bash even if the party was invited.
Categorically stating that his party would stay away from the celebrations, Union Minister of State for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan said, “greeting Kalaignar (Mr. Karunanidhi) is different. But even if the BJP is invited for the birthday function, we will not attend it.”
The Minister who is currently touring Kanyakumari district, told reporters in Nagercoil on Thursday that the DMK “intended to gain political mileage through the birthday celebrations of its leader.”
