DMK appeals to political parties, regional outfits to unite

The party also requested opposition against 'communal threats that have befallen on the country'

Terming the BJP-led government at the Centre as 'explicitly communal', DMK today asked all political parties and other movements in the country to bury their regional and ideological differences and oppose the 'communal threats that have befallen on the country'.

The M Karunanidhi-led party said that while it had initially welcomed many steps of the NDA government, it was now a matter of concern that the Centre had deviated from its promise of development while all efforts were being made to turn the country into a 'Hindu Rashtra' in lines with the policies of right-wing groups.

The party's General Council, a key decision-making body convened to elect the top three leaders-- President, General Secretary and Treasurer, adopted a detailed resolution slamming the Centre for its various controversial proposals including the 'Good Governance Day' coinciding with party stalwart A B Vajpayee's birthday on December 25, Christmas Day.

"The central government's present explicit communal attitude is not only unacceptable to minorities and those deeply believing in secularism and national unity, but is also a matter of grave concern," claimed the resolution adopted by the General Council members.

The Narendra Modi government, which was given a strong majority by voters in the polls last year, had initially come out with development proposals 'welcomed by us', even as ministers' 'regressive proposals' show that the government was deviating from its original path, it said.

Slamming BJP ministers and members of right-wing outfits such as RSS and VHP for their controversial remarks, including promoting Gandhi-assassin Nathuram Godse as a patriot and attempting to build temples for him, the party said such open efforts to impose religion will affect national peace and development and by doing so, the Centre had lost the confidence DMK had on it.

"All political parties and other movements which believe in secularism and unity in diversity, should bury their regional and political differences and oppose the communal threat that has befallen on the country because of the government's activities," the party said, urging the Modi government to ensure economic development which it promised during elections.

On the issue of 'imposition of Hindi and Sanskrit,' the Centre's 'conflicting policies' were an injustice to non-Hindi and non-Sanskrit speaking population, it said.