Making a strong pitch for opposition unity ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Tamil Nadu chief minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M K Stalin on Monday said there was “no use in separate voices”, and there should be collective effort towards ensuring federalism, equality and social justice.
Read here: MK Stalin to lead opposition leaders’ meeting in hybrid mode
Speaking at the inauguration of the All India Federation for Social Justice, Stalin also hit out at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka for scrapping the 4% quota for Muslims to hike the reservation given to the Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities, in a politically significant move, ahead of the high-stake assembly elections on April 13.
The conference saw the participation of 19 opposition parties in hybrid mode in Delhi.
Calling for collective efforts, Stalin said: “We should raise our voice to establish the principles of federalism, state autonomy, secularism, equality, fraternity, socialism and social justice all over India. It should not be a lone voice. There should not be different individual voices either. It should be a voice of unity, a voice of coalition.”
“However idealistic an ideology may be, for it to succeed, the unity among the parties which have accepted the ideology is of great importance. Such unity is not enough, if it is in only a few states. It has to happen in every state. It has to be for the whole of India. It is for that unity, federations like this will serve as the foundation. Let’s fight together to create an India of social justice, an India of equal justice and an India of Brotherhood,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}“However idealistic an ideology may be, for it to succeed, the unity among the parties which have accepted the ideology is of great importance. Such unity is not enough, if it is in only a few states. It has to happen in every state. It has to be for the whole of India. It is for that unity, federations like this will serve as the foundation. Let’s fight together to create an India of social justice, an India of equal justice and an India of Brotherhood,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}The DMK chief also slammed the Centre for “cunningly” adding economically along with socially and educationally in reservation. “They have already given reservation on the basis of economic status. It is not a static criterion though. One who is poor today can become rich tomorrow and vice versa. A few can even conceal the wealth they possess. Hence, it is not right to have this criterion for reservation,” he said.
Hitting out at the Karnataka government for doing away with the 4% quota for Muslims in Karnataka, Stalin said: “The quota scrapped for Muslims have been given to other two communities by setting the ground for enmity between the groups concerned. They have done this keeping the upcoming elections in mind. People have been discriminated against based on a notion of who votes for BJP and who does not. Social justice has been murdered so blatantly in Karnataka,” he said.
Chief ministers Ashok Gehlot (Rajasthan) and Hemant Soren (Jharkhand) and Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav were among those who attended the conference. At the end of the meeting, the party agreed on two factors – a national census of backward communities and reservation in the private sector.
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“Our government has begun conducting a census in Bihar and the results are expected soon. Based on the outcome, we will decide on the quantum of reservation,” Tejashwi said.
National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah, who also attended the meeting, said: “Unless we unite and form the government at the Centre, these goals cannot be achieved. We support Stalin and must stay united to see that the future is bright and prosperous for everyone.”