Udhayanidhi dares Central govt

Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development Udhayanidhi Stalin emphasised the DMK’s unwavering stance, stating that the party would not succumb to intimidation through income tax (I-T) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids. Speaking at a gathering of party functionaries in Salem, Udhayanidhi conveyed a resolute message, asserting that not even the DMK’s branch secretary would be deterred by such raids. He went on to express the party’s determination to oust the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, drawing a parallel with the fate of their political counterparts, the AIADMK, who were sent home in the Assembly elections. Taking a swipe at the BJP leadership, Udhayanidhi commented on the shifting rhetoric of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighting the contrast between his promise in 2014 to make India a superpower by 2023 and the revised projection of achieving this status by 2047. The Minister suggested that the Prime Minister’s actions had amounted to merely changing the name of India to Bharat without substantial progress. Shifting the focus to a critical issue, Udhayanidhi addressed the ongoing signature campaign against the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). He revealed that the DMK had garnered 30 lakh signatures out of the targeted 50 lakh against the controversial entrance exam. The remaining signatures are slated to be collected and handed over to Chief Minister MK Stalin during the party’s youth wing conference in Salem on December 17. Udhayanidhi framed this event as a potential turning point in the effort to combat what he termed “fascist forces” in India.