The Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) general secretary Vaiko said on Sunday it was wrong for political parties to hold conferences in the name of any god.
Speaking to reporters after the party’s general council meeting in Erode, he said, “Using the name of any god for a party conference is inappropriate, irrespective of which deity it is.”
Referring to the Lord Muruga devotees conference held in Madurai on Sunday, he alleged the BJP, RSS, and Hindutva forces were behind the event. “This will not help consolidate the Hindu vote bank in Tamil Nadu,” he felt.
At the general council meeting, which saw the participation of around 1,800 members from across Tamil Nadu, the party adopted 28 resolutions, including one that called for the MDMK to contest in a higher number of seats in the alliance [headed by DMK] in the 2026 Assembly elections to secure Election Commission “recognition” as a political party.
Another resolution emphasised the need to counter what it described as ongoing efforts by the Union government to undermine Tamil language and identity. The council also demanded the withdrawal of a circular that mandates the disbursal of cooperative loans based on CIBIL score.
Mr. Vaiko said the MDMK joined the DMK alliance in 2017 to protect the ideals of the Dravidian movement, which he said were under threat from attempts to impose Hindi and to alienate religious minorities. “We are part of the alliance not out of convenience, but to uphold ideological goals,” he said. The MDMK would work to ensure the alliance’s victory in future elections.
Responding to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent comment that a day would come when those speaking in English in India would be made to feel ashamed of it, Mr Vaiko said, “He is an expert in making shameful comments.”
Dismissing speculation about discussions with the BJP, he clarified that the MDMK had not held any talks and would not do so. He criticised BJP leaders Tamilisai Soundararajan and Nainar Nagendran for making baseless and irresponsible statements.
He said the DMK-led alliance remained strong and would comfortably win future elections. While the DMK had fulfilled many of its promises despite financial constraints, the Union government had withheld funds and Governor R.N. Ravi had blocked key Bills, acting as an agent of the BJP, he alleged.
Published – June 23, 2025 12:36 am IST
