DMK Slams Congress Over 'Underhand Tactics' and Alliance Backstabbing in Tamil Nadu Polls

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam strongly criticised the Congress party, alleging Congress backstabbed it during the April 23 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, the party said. The DMK’s official newspaper, Murasoli, published a scathing editorial condemning Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for undermining the INDIA bloc's unity.

Congress abandoned the DMK-led alliance. The party joined the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam instead. The TVK leader later refused to join the national alliance.

The DMK asked if it was not shameful for Congress to use "underhand tactics," the party told PTI, to block alliance partners from winning state elections before seeking Lok Sabha support. "Is not Rahul himself the one who ruined this unity in every single state," the Murasoli editorial said.

Murasoli mocked Gandhi for "lecturing unity," the publication said to PTI, calling his stance belated enlightenment. Gandhi had pledged his loyalty to the alliance on June 11. "I will be 100 per cent true. I give an assurance to the DMK right now," Gandhi told press.

"The backstabbing done by the Congress while staying in alliance with the DMK was carried out with Rahul's blessings. Today, only after the leader of the party they joined gave them a slip by saying 'I won't join INDIA alliance,' Rahul is playing the good boy," the daily told PTI.

The Kerala Dispute

Communist Party of India (Marxist) Rajya Sabha member John Brittas confronted Gandhi at the INDIA bloc meeting over his Kerala campaign rhetoric, PTI reported. Brittas accused Gandhi of telling blatant lies about a secret understanding between the Left and the Bharatiya Janata Party. He added that the Left did not need a certificate from the Congress to prove its anti-BJP stance. In Kerala, the Congress party and the CPI(M), with equal influence, contested against each other in the Assembly polls held in April and no one blamed them for clashing head-on, PTI reported.

During the campaign, Gandhi targeted the state's former chief minister. "Why hasn’t PM Modi arrested Pinarayi Vijayan (then CM)? There is a secret deal between the two," Gandhi said.

CPI General Secretary D Raja slammed Gandhi's remark that "the Left is no longer the Left," Raja said to PTI, calling it a sign of political immaturity. Gandhi countered that the Left government brought the Adani conglomerate to Kerala, while Left outfits blamed Congress for the corporate entry, PTI reported.

Murasoli highlighted Gandhi's hypocrisy in refusing to embrace Vijayan despite hugging Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament. "But isn't he the very person who hugged Prime Minister Modi in Parliament. Can anyone forget that scene," the daily said to PTI.

Marxist leader Baby challenged the Congress leader's stance. "No one asked Rahul Gandhi to hug Pinarayi Vijayan. Instead, we are asking him to stop acting as an assistant to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Modi government by demanding the arrest of Pinarayi Vijayan and other opposition leaders. That is not the job of an opposition leader," Baby said.

Widespread Alliance Fractures

Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, released his INDIA bloc meeting speech on the Congress website under pressure as allies leaked their criticisms, PTI reported. Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav called the exit of the DMK and AAP a "massive setback," Yadav said to PTI, and questioned the alliance's path.

Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav doubted secret understandings existed between Congress and BJP leaders in Bihar. He said the Congress leadership took no action to resolve these concerns despite raising this with them multiple times. Omar Abdullah, the Nationalist Congress Party, and the VCK also alleged Congress mistreated the DMK.

Murasoli demanded Gandhi take responsibility. "The reason why anti-Congress sentiment was discussed more than anti-BJP sentiment in a meeting gathered to oppose the BJP is entirely due to Rahul's immaturity and lack of integrity," the editorial told PTI.

Gandhi said criticisms raised by the INDIA bloc parties against the Congress will be accepted, PTI reported. "What difference does it make now whether he accepts the criticisms or not. Rahul says, just like Lord Shiva drank the poison, the Congress must swallow all criticisms," the daily told PTI.

Murasoli said gods and demons created the poison Shiva drank during the churning of the ocean of milk for nectar, PTI reported. The editorial questioned who churned out poison instead of nectar within the INDIA alliance.

Gandhi outlined future actions for the coalition. "...What is coming now, after what has happened in Iran, is uncontrollable. It is uncontrollable, and it is going to create a space for us to mobilise the masses. Also, get rid of the notion that we are not coordinated and do not act together. These are all ideas the BJP is putting out. This is not true —I am 100 per cent sure, and I can vouch right now for the DMK. When it comes to defending the idea of India, every single person will be in this room," Gandhi told PTI.

He defended his refusal to reconcile with Vijayan. "We have our fights, but if you are asking me to go and hug the ex-Chief Minister of Kerala —I cannot and I will not, because I have an on-going political fight with him. So we have to be flexible and we have to realise that there is a full-scale assault on us, trying to prove that the opposition is weak," Gandhi said to PTI