AIADMK seeks to reach out to Muslims, says it will not allow

Amid continuing protests by Muslims over CAA, NRC and NPR in Tamil Nadu, the ruling AIADMK on Friday sought reassure the community, saying it will not allow anything that would harm minorities and charged its arch-rival DMK with trying to create confusion through false propaganda.

The K Palaniswami government has also written to the Centre that certain information and documents like Aadhaar should be avoided in the upcoming Census, the party said, in an apparent reference to apprehensions being raised over certain aspects of the National Population Register process.

"No injustice will be meted out to any minority brother and sister in Tamil Nadu. The government will not allow any activity against minorities. AIADMK will be a true friend for the Muslim community forever," a party statement said appealing for maintaining communal harmony.

The statement by top AIADMK leaders Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and Chief Minister K Palaniswami comes in the backdrop of latest round of protests here and some other parts of the state against the amended citizenship law, NPR and the national register of citizens.

Among others, a massive protest was held here on Wednesday in which thousands of Muslims, including women, took part and urged the state assembly to adopt an anti-CAA resolution in the session that ended on Thursday.

Besides, Old Washermenpet in north Chennai has been witnessing protest by Muslims and others over the CAA, NPR and NRC since February 14 and been dubbed as "Chennai's Shaheen Bagh" in the social media.

AIADMK Coordinator Panneerselvam and Joint Coordinator Palaniswami in their joint statement said the NPR was formulated during the Congress-led UPA government in 2010, in which the DMK was a key constituent.

The government was keen on protecting the country's sovereignty, supporting schemes taken up "as per" court directives and maintaining cordial ties with the Centre and neighbouring states as much as possible for Tamil Nadu's welfare, they said.

It has written to the Centre that information like mother tongue, parentage, spouse' birthday and place and documents like Aadhaar and voter ID, besides mobile number "should be avoided" during the 2020 Census, the leaders said.

The AIADMK government treading the path laid down by party stalwarts late M G Ramachandran (MGR) and J Jayalalithaa "will determinedly strive to uphold brotherhood and equality that will benefit the minority community," they said.

"All, especially the Muslim brothers and sisters should understand that anti-social elements and some political parties which will carry out any heinous activity to come to power are trying to scuttle law and order."
Training their guns against their arch-rival, they said "it is condemnable that unable to stomach AIADMK government's growing public support, DMK is trying to instigate and spread a false propaganda to create confusion among Muslims."
On NRC in Assam, they said it was carried out in accordance with the Supreme Court directions "but is not meant for the entire country."