AMMK part of NDA since 2024 and willing to set aside differences with AIADMK to defeat DMK, says Dhinakaran

The Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) was part of the National Democratic Alliance since 2024 and though it had ideological differences with the AIADMK, the party was willing to set them aside to defeat the DMK, the party’s general secretary T. T. V. Dhinakaran said here on Wednesday.

Mr.Dhinakaran stressed that the AMMK’s primary objective was to bring down the DMK government. “We may have ideological differences with the AIADMK, but we are willing to set them aside until the elections to defeat the DMK. Many political analysts believe we enabled the DMK’s rise to power. This time, we want to be part of the effort to bring them down,” Mr. Dhinakaran said speaking to reporters ahead of a meeting with party functionaries of Srirangam constituency at Tiruvanaikovil here.

He also said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s vision to strengthen the alliance would not be disrupted.

Commenting on the AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K.Palaniswami’s recent comments on the NDA alliance in Tamil Nadu, Mr. Dhinakaran said, “I and former Chief Minister O.Panneerselvam joined the NDA alliance to make Narendra Modi the Prime Minister. At that time Edappadi K Palaniswami went ahead and formed a third front. But now he has come to our alliance and is trying to give the alliance a new meaning. It is nothing but wordplay,” said Mr. Dinakaran

Commenting on the language policy in the new National Education Policy (NEP), Mr. Dinakaran said, “Learning a third language is good in principle. Nowhere does it mandate Hindi specifically. However, if the Union government imposes any language, we will oppose it.”

When asked about the rise in caste-related violence and honour killings in Tamil Nadu, he said, “Changing the names of hostels alone won’t help. What’s needed is a change in the mindset of people.”