Karuna hits out at Rahul

Chennai

Sept. 9: The Chief Minister, Mr M. Karunanidhi, on Wednesday declared that none could subjugate the DMK or dislodge the party in the state, even as his ally, the Congress general secretary, Mr Rahul Gandhi, is going around Tamil Nadu pledging fresh initiatives to bring the Congress to power.
Recalling the DMK resistance during the Emergency imposed by the Indira Gandhi government, the octogenarian said, “They tried and failed to subjugate and suppress us. Even MISA (Maintenance of Internal Security Act) could not scare us.” MISA and Emergency tried to muffle the DMK voice, “and we were unable to address rallies or give media statements. In such a suppressing scenario, we used marriage ceremonies to speak out our policies,” he said.
Mr Gandhi, unveiled his ambitious plans for the party in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday by saying that the fruits of Central schemes would reach people “when the Congress comes to power here.”
He struck this confident note during a Youth Congress rally when a young woman queried why the benefits of the Central projects were not percolating to the common man. “When the Congress comes to power here, the benefits will certainly reach the masses,” Mr Gandhi said, evoking loud cheer from the crowd which had arrived from Vellore, Tiruvannamalai and Kancheepuram.
Earlier, Mr Gandhi sent a loud message that the Congress is keen on capturing the Dravidian turf by skipping the Congress’ Tamil ‘protocol’, — any leader la-nding from Delhi would first call on Mr Karunanidhi.
The DMK camp is understandably, upset. “He is spending three days and visiting over a dozen places across Tamil Nadu. Could he not find five minutes to pay a courtesy call on Thalaivar Kalaignar? We are all upset,” said a DMK senior.