Kanimozhi hit back at Narendra Modi over his ‘kala tika’ remark, defending the symbolism of black as sacred and political.
She invoked Kali and Periyar E. V. Ramasamy to underline the ideological roots of the protest.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam demanded implementation of 33% reservation without linking it to delimitation, warning of continued agitation.
Kanimozhi counters Modi’s ‘kala tika’ jibe, invokes Kali and Periyar as DMK protests women’s quota amendment
DMK escalates opposition to linking women’s reservation with delimitation, vows to continue black-clad protest
Summary
DMK leader Kanimozhi on Friday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his 'kala tika' swipe at her party's protest over women quota law amendment, saying black is the colour of goddess Kali and that the ruling party of Tamil Nadu will protest over the issue till the end.
Intervening in the debate on amendment to the women's reservation law in Lok Sabha on Thursday, Prime Minister Modi had taken a swipe at DMK members in the House for wearing black clothes to protest the amendment bill, saying it works as a 'kala tika' to ward off evil eye.
Referring to the black clothes and flags, he said there is a tradition to apply 'kala tika' before commencing a good work for which he thanks them.
Participating in the debate on Friday, Kanimozhi, who was dressed in a black saree, said she is "surprised that people who are there to defend Hindutva were not reminded of goddess Kali, the dark goddess who wears black".
She also said black is also the colour of DMK's intellectual leader Periyar, who has taught them to fight till the end.
Besides Kanimozhi, other DMK MPs were also dressed in black in the House.
The DMK MP also demanded that the women's reservation act, which provides 33 per cent quota for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies, be implemented from 2029 with the same 543 seats.
The delimitation exercise should be delinked from women's quota, she demanded.
On Thursday, while the DMK members wore black clothes in the House, party leader and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin hoisted a black flag in the state and burnt a copy of the delimitation bill, dubbing it a "black law" that seeks to make the Tamil people "refugees" in their own land.
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