Blitz Bureau
TAMIL Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on August 19 said that he was overwhelmed at how Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke about his father and former chief minister Kalaignar Karunanidhi during the release of the commemorative coin to mark his centenary.
Stalin, who is also the President of DMK, said that the Defence Minister’s speech should be recorded in history, adding that the speech was better than that made by many of his party leaders and alliance leaders.
But while dismissing the possibility of an alliance with the BJP, Stalin praised Rajnath Singh’s sincere respect for Karunanidhi. The senior BJP leader had spoken more passionately about the late leader than even some DMK allies and leaders, Stalin said. “He didn’t need to speak so much about Kalaignar, which shows that his words came from the heart.”
A DAY after he attended an event with Rajnath where a commemorative coin on Karunanidhi was released, DMK supremo M K Stalin fended off reports that it indicated a closing of gap between his party and the BJP.
Attacking AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) over his criticism of the event, including the fact that the commemorative coin featured Hindi text, Stalin said it was a Union Government function, held as per its protocol, and that EPS’s remarks indicated his “ignorance”.
Responding to EPS after attending a wedding of a DMK functionary, Stalin said: “Because Rajnath Singh attended the event, they say there’s a BJP-DMK deal! We don’t make secret deals. Indira Gandhi once said that the DMK, whether it praises or attacks, does so based on ideology.
EPS should learn this. We are not like EPS, who goes secretly, crawling for power and positions.” The CM referred to Rajnath‘s gesture calling upon the audience to give a standing ovation to Karunanidhi during the release of the commemorative coin and said that he was overwhelmed with happiness “that cost him his sleep”.
Stalin further said that there was no compulsion for Union Defence Minister to praise Kalaignar to such an extent. He said, “There was no necessity but Rajnath spoke straight from his heart.”
He also rejected the claims made by Opposition leader, Edappadi K.Palaniswamy that there were secret ties between the BJP and DMK and added that the DMK did not have to have secret ties with the BJP. Stalin said that the late PM Indira Gandhi had said that Karunanidhi would either support or oppose but would never give up on principles. On non-invitation to Cong leader Rahul Gandhi, he maintained that the coin was being released by the Union Government so a Union minister was invited.
