Chennai: DMK president M K Stalin accused the BJP-led government of trying to recreate the ‘black history’ of incarceration of National Conference founder Sheikh Abdullah and assured that his party will continue to oppose scrapping of Article 370.
Addressing the gathering at a public meeting held by the DMK to commemorate the first death anniversary of former party chief M Karunanidhi yesterday, Stalin said National Conference top leader Farooq Abdullah could not attend the event since he was under house arrest.
Tracing the life and times of Sheik Abdullah, Farooq Abdullah’s father, he said the Sheik was confined at Kodaikanal in Tamilnadu and ‘they (the BJP-led Centre) are trying to recreate that black history.’
Reiterating his party’s stand against repeal of Article 370, he said in view of this position no one needed to lecture them on nationalism.
“In the name of nationalism, the BJP government is today fomenting communalism and the DMK will oppose this duplicity with determination,” he said.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who unveiled the statue of Karunanidhi, claimed that the whereabouts of Farooq Abdullah was not known and expressed concern over it.
Banerjee said if a decision was taken in respect of any particular state, people of that state should be taken into confidence, an apparent reference to scrapping of Article 370.
“Sometimes some political parties can take a decision but please remember if you take a decision about Tamilnadu, people there should be taken into confidence, and similarly if it concerned Bengal, its populace should be consulted,” she said.
Hailing Karunanidhi as an iconic leader who continued to touch people’s lives though not alive, she said ‘he lives in our hearts’, and went on to recall the midnight arrest of the late leader in 2001.
She said the late leader’s arrest was strongly criticised then and added the episode was etched in her mind.
He will be remembered forever for his ‘mission, vision and action,’ she said. “I salute him and all of you.”
The West Bengal Chief Minister said Stalin was also fighting the battle like his father who was dedicated to federalism, welfare of minorities, and state autonomy.