NEW DELHI: DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin on Sunday strongly reaffirmed his party’s commitment to protecting minorities, declaring that the DMK would continue to stand by the Muslim community despite what he described as attempts by political opponents to divide them.His remarks come amid an increasingly charged political atmosphere in Tamil Nadu, where minority outreach has once again become a key political issue.Speaking at the wedding of the granddaughter of DMK headquarters secretary ‘Thuraimugam’ Kaja in Thiruverkadu, Chennai, Udhayanidhi said the party’s bond with minority communities remained strong despite political attacks and campaigns aimed at creating divisions.Taking an apparent swipe at political rivals without naming anyone, he said, “some people left us as soon as a sofa arrived”. He contrasted them with long-time party workers and members of the minority community, saying they had stood firmly with the DMK through every political challenge.Former Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin said, “No matter who tries to separate us or what slanders are spread, the DMK will always remain a protective fortress for minorities and Islamic people.”Projecting DMK president M K Stalin as the party’s central figure during the current political climate, Udhayanidhi said, “In these times of political disaster, DMK chief MK Stalin will stand by you, protect Tamil Nadu, and redeem the nation.”He said he was attending the wedding on behalf of his father, M K Stalin, who had originally been scheduled to preside over the function.Recalling Kaja’s long association with the DMK, Udhayanidhi narrated an incident from the 1989 Assembly elections, when Kaja had contested against the late M Karunanidhi from the Harbour constituency as an AIADMK candidate.“Even before the vote counting concluded, Kaja, as an opposition candidate, went and garlanded Kalaignar to congratulate him,” Udhayanidhi recalled. “Later, he joined the DMK and has worked tirelessly as a true cadre.”He also said M K Stalin often refers to Kaja and senior functionary Poochi S Murugan as the “two pillars of Anna Arivalayam”, the party headquarters.The wedding was attended by a large number of members of the Muslim community, providing Udhayanidhi with an opportunity to reiterate the DMK’s message of support for minorities.Despite the political overtones of his address, the event also saw a rare display of cordiality across party lines when Udhayanidhi personally escorted Naam Tamilar Katchi Chief Coordinator Seeman, who had also attended the function.
