Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai has raised a sharp question to the Congress party, asking if it is ready to walk out of the DMK-led alliance to preserve its dignity.
Speaking to reporters, Annamalai recalled how the Congress fell from power in Tamil Nadu in 1967, blaming the DMK for its defeat. “The fall of a great administrator like Kamaraj was primarily due to the DMK. They spread lies during the 1967 elections and brought down a leader who lived a simple and honest life,” he said.
He added that after the Congress split, Indira Gandhi joined hands with the DMK not just in Tamil Nadu, but at the national level, to keep out the rival faction. He said the 1971 elections are proof of this.
“DMK has no moral right to talk about Kamaraj,” Annamalai asserted. “Karunanidhi himself once called both the DMK and AIADMK as ‘sticks soaked in sewage’. Kamaraj never accumulated wealth, never misused power. Even one percent of moral ground to speak about him does not exist in the DMK.”
He then questioned the Congress’s silence. “Does the Congress party still have any self-respect? Are they ready to leave the DMK alliance and contest independently, at least to protect their dignity?” he asked. However, he added that he wasn’t asking Congress to join another alliance.
He predicted that in the coming days, some DMK members would meet Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi in Delhi, and once “they are given a strong dose,” Congress leaders would once again act like subordinates to the DMK.
“People have been watching this behavior of the Congress for decades. Nothing new is going to happen,” Annamalai said.
In conclusion, he appealed to Tamil Nadu Congress leaders, “Apart from Kamaraj, the Congress has no other identity in Tamil Nadu. The people won’t accept anyone else. After insulting a leader like Kamaraj, do you still want to remain in the DMK alliance? It’s a question not just from me, but from ordinary citizens too.”
