AIADMK slams DMK leader Stalin as "power hungry"

Ruling AIADMK today termed DMK Treasurer M K Stalin as "power hungry" and dubbed as a "drama" his recent state-wide campaign to mobilise support for his party ahead of assembly elections due early next year.
"He is power hungry, he enacted a drama through his 'Namakku Naame' tour, boiled paddy will not sprout, and his tactics cannot stand, succeed in front of our Mother of Wisdom (Jayalalithaa)," AIADMK said in a write-up in its mouthpiece Dr Namadhu MGR.
The sharp attack comes against the backdrop of sustained criticism by the DMK, including Stalin, of AIADMK regime's handling of rain and flood-related issues.

DMK had also demanded convening of a special session of the state Assembly to deliberate the "extraordinary circumstances casued by the rains and deluge."
Priding itself as a party of "one crore soldiers", AIADMK said Stalin's tactics will not succeed. The ruling party has one crore members on its rolls.
It also lambasted Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president E V K S Elangovan.

Thambidurai said if elected MPs, a Deputy Speaker, are
not able to meet the Prime Minister, then it leaves a bad feeling. "The Prime Minister should help us when we come," he said.
He said since the issue of animals is in the concurrent list of the Constitution, the Tamil Nadu government has been waiting for the Centre to issue an ordinance.

"The earlier UPA government in which DMK was a constituent did not do anything. Even the BJP government did not help us. That is why this ordinance now," he said.
He said talk of federalism is alright but the Centre should also protect various languages and cultures in the country.
"If the Centre fails, then what will happen. Tamil Nadu is showing that lakhs and lakhs of people are on the streets for protection of Tamil language and culture. The Centre should understand this and resolve issues.
"We are all Indians but at the same time state culture and language should be protected. If one language, one culture is sought to be imposed then it will be dangerous and it will have dangerous implications. All languages are equal," he said.

Thambidurai said they met the President and gave him a memorendum seeking his intervention for the conduct of Jallikattu.
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In a memorandum to Mukherjee, a copy of which was released to the media here, the MPs referred to the "large-scale uproar," demanding lifting of ban and conducting jallikattu by all sections, mainly the youth of Tamil Nadu besides the Tamil diaspora.
"In view of the popular demand of the Tamils without any exception, the ban on jallikattu is immediately required to be lifted. The Tamil Nadu government is bringing about an ordinance to this effect," they said.
Giving a historical perspective, the ruling party MPs said jallikattu had been in existence for two millennia and it is a generic term for various sports involving special breed of bulls.

"It is unique to the Tamil ethos and the sport is reflected in Tamil literature of the Sangam era also...It has historical and traditional significance..An annual sport and part of Pongal festivities...This honours the contribution of bulls to the welfare of the farming community."
Also, the MPs brought to Mukherjee's notice the background to the jallikattu ban. They cited the Centre's notification of 2011 which included bulls in the list of performing animals and thereby banned the sport.
They pointed out that efforts by Tamil Nadu to regulate jallikattu by enacting a regulatory Act in 2009 was struck down by the Supreme Court as repugnant to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

Similarly, they said a notification issued by the Centre last year as well to allow the sport was challenged and judgement reserved on the matter.