AIADMK going to Supreme Court to support SIR is 'shameful', says CM Stalin

Chennai, Nov 14 (PTI) Chief Minister and DMK President MK Stalin on Friday slammed arch rival AIADMK, the main opposition party for petitioning the Supreme Court in support of the SIR of electoral rolls when the entire state of Tamil Nadu laments about the exercise.

Addressing party functionaries at Kolathur here, the chief of the Dravidian party said SIR is the talk of the town today.

People are under compulsion to prove that "we are Indian citizens only," and the Election Commission has cast this huge burden on the people, he alleged.

Stalin represents Kolathur Assembly Constituency in Chennai in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

Further, the CM alleged that a situation has arisen, which may even go to the extent of people losing their right to vote. "You know very well who created this. The rulers who are helming the union government have created this." Similar to troubling several state governments ruled by opposition parties using investigation agencies, they are now using the Election Commission, the CM alleged.

He referred to "vote theft" allegations of Congress top leader Rahul Gandhi and said that his party has petitioned the Supreme Court on SIR to ensure that not even a single genuine voter is left out of the electoral rolls.

He also recalled the multiple party meeting held on November 2 and state-wide protests on November 11 against the SIR by the DMK-led alliance.

He told party office-bearers: "Usually, you are entrusted with the responsibility of making the party win the elections. But this time, we have additionally entrusted you with the great responsibility of securing the people's right to vote." Referring to the Election Commission's one month time from November 4 to December 4 for the completion of SIR of electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu, he said, "we do not have much time and you must first understand it." Elaborating on the SIR exercise, he said that for the purpose of enrolment in electoral rolls, an enumeration form is distributed to the electors by the Election Commission through the BLOs.

"Today the date is November 14 and already 10 days are over. When we see that form, we get a big confusion. The state of Tamil Nadu is lamenting about it." Already, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has held massive protests against the SIR. Similarly, in Kerala, the ruling and opposition parties together oppose the SIR and the Assembly has passed a resolution in this regard.

"However, in Tamil Nadu there is an opposition party (principal opposition party, the AIADMK). That is not funcitoning as the opposition party. If it continued to work in this fashion, it will not even be able to be a fringe party, leave alone being the (main) opposition." The chief minister, without naming the Leader of Opposition, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, alleged that the main opposition party was mortgaged in Delhi, an indirect reference to the BJP.

The CM said, under such circumstances, the AIADMK has extended support to the SIR by accepting the terms dictated by Delhi. At the same time, all other parties have approached the Supreme Court opposing the SIR.

"It is shameful that the AIADMK has gone to Supreme Court supporting the SIR and it is shameful. They do not have the strength to meet the people and that is why they are seeking this short cut." Hence, under such circumstances, the party functionaries must work across their constituency and function as the bridge between the people and the Election Commission appointed BLOs.

The party workers must help the public in filling the enumeration forms and render necessary assistance. PTI VGN VGN ROH