Udhayanidhi mocks AIADMK, calls it 'Amit Shah' Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin has alleged that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state is a “shortcut” ploy being used by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to delete votes of those who support his party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).

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He also taunted rival All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), saying it had effectively become the “Amit Shah Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam”, linking the Opposition party with the BJP leader and Union home minister.

Udhayanidhi mocks EPS

Reiterating his charge that the BJP-led Centre was once again seeking to impose Hindi on Tamil Nadu through the New Education Policy, Udhayanidhi, who is also the DMK's youth wing chief, said that while other states had accepted it, “our chief minister (M K Stalin) has made it clear that it is not possible”, even if it were to bring a Rs 10,000 crore payout from the Union government.

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He also mocked the state's Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami, saying the AIADMK leader had “completely surrendered himself” to Shah.

"Please save your party first from the BJP," the deputy CM, addressing a Christmas event in Chennai on Sunday (December 21) night, said.

'SIR to delete DMK votes'

Palaniswami, who has aligned with the BJP ahead of next year's Assembly polls, claims that he would protect the minorities, and Udhaynidhi found it funny.

"Recently, through shortcut, via the Election Commission, they brought the SIR exercise and it was our CM who had spoken first about its impact," he added.

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"In particular, the votes of the minorities, women and marginalised sections of the people are going continuously to the DMK. Such votes did not go to the BJP despite their efforts. Hence, the SIR exercise was devised to search and delete votes of such people; approximately 97 lakh votes have been struck off the electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu and in Chennai alone, about 14 lakh votes have been removed," he said.

Appeal to check electoral rolls

Addressing the gathering at the event, the deputy chief minister said, "Hence, my appeal to the people who have gathered here is, vote is our right and voting is not only a duty. Please check if your names figure in the electoral rolls."

He said that if their names do not appear on the voters' list, the DMK's booth-level agents would help people fill their names in relevant forms and submit them to the electoral authorities, and it could be done till January 18.

Udhayanidhi added that "after having plotted so much" and following the BJP's win in Bihar, Shah says that their next target is Tamil Nadu.

Also Read: BJP gobbling up AIADMK: Udhayanidhi Stalin

"Tamil Nadu people and the followers of Kalaignar (late Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi) will never be afraid; you may win in northern states, but your tactics will not succeed in Tamil Nadu," he said.

(With agency inputs)