Dravidian parties are functioning against Annadurai’s principles: Annamalai

Dravidian parties are functioning against Annadurai’s principles: Annamalai

BJP Tamil Nadu president K. Annamalai on Saturday said Dravidian political parties, including the ruling DMK, were functioning against the principles outlined by the former Chief Minister and founder of DMK late C.N. Annadurai, who was against dynasty politics and revenue from liquor to the State exchequer.

Addressing the gathering in Katpadi near Vellore town as part of his “En Mann, En Makkal” padayatra in the district, Mr. Annamalai said that the DMK founder was cautious in his entire political career that no one in his family, including his adopted son, should enter politics. He made his adopted son pursue medicine and he became a professional doctor.

Likewise, the BJP leader said that Annadurai was vehemently against earning revenue through liquor to the State exchequer. In 1967 when Annadurai was the Chief Minister, he was advised to grant a licence for selling liquor in the State as it would fetch at least ₹2 crore per year. However, the Dravidian leader was totally against it.

Whereas now, the State government is completely dependent on revenue generated from Tasmac, which earned its revenue to a tune of ₹52,000 crore in 2023 as against ₹44,000 crore in 2022. “DMK and other Dravidian parties function against the principles of Annadurai,” he said.

The former IPS officer slammed Minister for Water Resources Duraimurugan, who is a local MLA elected from Katpadi assembly constituency, and his son and DMK MP D.M. Kathir Anand for not doing anything for their constituencies. Voters in Katpadi, he said, never failed to re-elect Mr. Duraimurugan whenever he contested from the assembly constituency. However, the Minister has not done anything to improve even civic amenities like good roads and sanitation, to his Katpadi constituency, he said. 

He termed caste politics as one of the four ideological differences between Dravidian political parties and the BJP. Dynastic politics in the State was the second factor where BJP differed from them, he said.