Karunanidhi plays caste card to hail Raja

Chennai, Feb 4: The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK head M Karunanidhi on Thursday, Feb 3 played the Dalit card saying he and the party were being targeted because they formed the pillar of the "downtrodden or Shudras."

Karunanidhi also hailed former Telecom Minister A Raja as a Dalit hero for enabling poor to use mobile phones which was earlier confined to the rich. Raja has been arrested by the CBI in connection with the 2G spectrum scam.

DMK in its General Council meeting on Thursday, passed a resolution to stand by Raja until he is proven guilty. DMK claimed that Raja's arrest does not necessarily mean he is guilty. The DMK head said, "Raja's only fault is that he made mobile telephony accessible to crores of poor. That is his achievement."

He also whammed Opposition parties for blowing the issue out of proportion and said their only evidence was the CAG report.

Referring to Raja's arrest Karunanidhi said, “Raja, a Dalit, had made available mobile telephony services at affordable cost to the poor. He is suffering for that now," he said.

Harking back the legend behind the Kerala festival Onam, Karunanidhi said the upper caste will not tolerate good rule by others and would try to thwart them.

According to the Hindu legend, the King Mahabali an asura, who was a good ruler but was demoted to the underworld by Hindu god Vishnu so that the Devas can rule the heaven again.

Karunanidhi listed out the achievements of his government like free power to farmers/weavers, establishment of farmers market, free housing scheme and others.

The General Council resolution also recalled Karunanidhi's earlier statement that he would not hesitate to take action against Raja if he was proved guilty. The meeting was attended by Karunanidhi's sons - Union Minister M K Alagiri and Deputy Chief Minister M K Stalin and daughter Kanimozhi, MP, among others.

OneIndia News
(With inputs from PTI)