Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin speaking at the Puthiya Dravida Kazhagam’s social justice conference at Elumathur in Erode district in Tamil Nadu on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
DMK youth wing leader and Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Sunday claimed that former AIADMK MLA K.A. Sengottaiyan had switched party (and joined Vijay’s TVK) only on the advice of BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He alleged the head offices of several political parties in the State, including the AIADMK, were located in Delhi.
Speaking at the sixth Puthiya Dravida Kazhagam conference at Elumathur in Erode district, Mr. Udhayanidhi claimed Mr. Shah’s residence functioned as the “head office”, and quipped Mr. Sengottaiyan had not joined a different party, but only “another branch” of the same leadership. Taking a dig at AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, he said, “It is not Anna, MGR or Jayalalithaa in his heart now. Only Amit Shah is.”
Mr. Udhayanidhi said that merely uttering the word “Dravidam” was enough to “trigger threats from Delhi”. Recalling former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi’s views, he said, “Kalaignar would say that by language we are Tamils, by race we are Dravidians and by nationality we are Indians.”
Neither Periyar [E V Ramasamy] nor Karunanidhi had coined the word “Dravidam”. Despite clear research, “some groups continue to stir anger”, a trend he alleged now extended to Governor R.N. Ravi. The AIADMK, despite having ‘Dravida’ in its name, has “forgotten Periyar and MGR”, he claimed.
The Deputy Chief Minister asserted that no political realignment could hinder the DMK’s prospects. He accused the BJP of pushing back socially progressive sections and attempting to divert the votes of the most backward, oppressed and marginalised communities that traditionally supported the DMK. “The DMK will protect those votes,” he said.
Calling for unity beyond caste and religion to save Tamil Nadu, Mr. Udhayanidhi said the DMK would work for the development of all sections. The party workers should strive for the DMK-led alliance to win more than 200 seats in the 2026 Assembly elections.
Published – November 30, 2025 09:20 pm IST
