Chennai: DMK chief M K Stalin pooh-poohed claims that his party surrendered to the Centre by putting off a protest against ”Hindi imposition,” saying it cannot be cowed down and remained firm on its stand.
A day after putting off the 20 September protest, Stalin said the decision was taken after considering state Governor Banwarilal Purohit’s assurance that Hindi will not be imposed and Home Minister Amit Shah’s clarification that he has been wrongly understood on the issue.
Addressing a memorial meet here yesterday in honour of DMK veteran S A M Hussein, he said sections of media had projected as if the party had surrendered to the Centre.
He said the Governor’s assurance to him during a meeting at Raj Bhavan was reflected in Shah’s explanation as well. Only after taking into account the Minister’s response, “we believed and accepted it,” he said.
The decision to postpone the protest was, however, not a “wholehearted move,” but taken in the backdrop of the reassurance of Amit Shah and Banwarilal, he underscored.
Stalin said the demonstration was only “postponed temporarily,” and he had made it categorical that his party will never waver from opposing Hindi imposition.
While this was the position, sections of media, however, “deliberately projected as if we surrendered (to the Centre) and refrained from protest out of fear,” he said.
Using a Tamil saying, he said his party was a seasoned outfit that has withstood several trials and tribulations and cannot be cowed down by anyone and would never be rattled.
Claiming victory after Amit Shah clarified he never pitched for imposition of Hindi, Stalin had on Wednesday postponed the protest demonstrations on 20 September over the issue.
“We consider his (Amit Shah’s) clarification as a big victory for the DMK following the party’s announcement of protest demonstrations,” he had said.