Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP Kanimozhi has rubbished reports of a falling apart alliance with Congress, saying that the presence of internal discussions and divergent views is an indication of a healthy alliance and not an impending split. On Friday, she said that unlike the more rigid formations of the Bharatiya Janata Party or All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the DMK and Congress permit their members to express their views freely.
The discussion was bound to turn to the new political party launched by actor Vijay and his party, the Tamizha Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), when it did, and Kanimozhi’s tone was slightly cynical as she pointed out that having a large turnout at rallies does not necessarily mean success at the polls. Nevertheless, her greatest complaint was the absence of ideological purity. She specifically took aim at Vijay’s attempt to claim the legacy of the rationalist leader Periyar while simultaneously distancing himself from Periyar’s atheism, calling the contradiction "suspicious." To Kanimozhi, a political platform needs more than star power; it needs a coherent belief system that voters can actually pin down.
Defending the DMK’s own track record, she emphasised that the upcoming elections in Tamil Nadu will be a fight to protect India’s diversity. She pushed back against the "anti-Hindu" label often used by the BJP, citing the fact that the DMK government has overseen 4,000 temple consecrations. Her point was simple: “The party is not against religion, but it is strongly against the use of religion as a means to discriminate or to deny people their opportunities.”
Kanimozhi also spoke about the Dravidian ideology as a whole, describing it as an inclusive movement that has made Tamil Nadu a model state for women’s participation in the workforce. She gave credit to Periyar as one of the main feminist influences, saying that the state’s 42 per cent female participation in the organised workforce is a direct result of this long-held political ideology. For the DMK, the strategy remains clear: stick to the "social justice" script and challenge the "divisive politics" they believe will ultimately fail to take root in Tamil soil.
Also read: Seat-sharing talks between Cong-DMK to start soon: TNCC chief
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