Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin declared a political war against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), emphatically stating that the state has “no entry” for the party or its ideologies at a packed DMK rally in Karur last evening. The DMK president framed the upcoming electoral battle as a crucial defense of Tamil Nadu’s unique identity and autonomy against what he termed the systemic “oppression, domination, and imposition” from the BJP-led union government.
“This is not Karur, it is the town of DMK. In the pouring rain, scholar Anna launched DMK at Robinson Park in Chennai. We are about to witness a century. That day, today and every day, there is ‘no entry’ here for oppression, domination and imposition. In total, there is ‘no entry’ for BJP. This is Tamil Nadu, carved by Periyar, Anna and Kalaignar, which has continuously formed the government in the union three times, but your Modi has not succeeded in Tamil Nadu”, Stalin said.
CM Stalin’s speech at Karur: A defense of statehood and Tamil identity
Stalin grounded his argument in the ideological legacy of Tamil icons Periyar, C.N. Annadurai, and M. Karunanidhi, positioning the DMK as the sole guardian of their vision. He meticulously outlined a list of grievances to accuse the Centre of overreach, highlighting the imposition of Hindi, the refusal to exempt Tamil Nadu from the NEET examination, and the withholding of education funds.
He further accused the Union government of deliberately hiding the antiquity of the Keezhadi excavation site and attempting to dilute the state’s voting power through constituency delimitation and voter list revisions. By consistently using the term “Union Government” instead of “Central Government,” Stalin reinforced his party’s long-standing ideological commitment to a federal structure where states are the foundation of a strong nation.
Contrasting records and dismissing new rivals
Beyond his direct attack on the BJP, the Chief Minister also took aim at emerging political challengers within the state, issuing a strong defense of his own administration’s performance. Without explicitly naming actor Vijay’s newly formed Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), Stalin indirectly criticized those positioning themselves as an alternative, questioning their credibility and motives. He asserted that such parties would “drag the development of Tamil Nadu backwards.
In contrast, he championed his government’s record, stating that despite taking charge during a severe financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, they had successfully steered Tamil Nadu to become “the leading state of India.” Concluding on a personal note, Stalin, who was jailed during the Emergency, pledged to continue his lifelong fight to ensure a future where Tamil Nadu “stands tall” and never bows down to external dominance.