India is not Hindi speaking states alone: DMK chief Stalin
Chennai, May 25: DMK president M K Stalin Saturday said no single state can be ignored by the government at the Centre and asserted India was not Hindi speaking states alone.
Buoyed by his party's performance in the Lok Sabha election, the Dravidian party chief for the first time said his party would take the initiative to oppose the BJP -albeit without naming it explicitly- in other states by working with outfits in those regions.
"The DMK will take constructive measures to replicate the Tamil Nadu model (of propping up secularism and DMK's victory in polls) in other states as well by coordinating with forces committed to communal harmony," he said in an open letter to party cadres.
On a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was elected leader of the NDA, Stalin said this was the time to support and embrace people of all identities, states, adding "the days that Hindi speaking states alone was India has vanished."
The future was all about "constructive politics that centred around the states," the DMK chief said.
"No single state can be ignored whichever party took over reins of power at the Centre," Stalin asserted.
The DMK's voice will reverberate in Parliament and State Assembly to protect the people's interests, he said.
The DMK has won 23 seats and the front (Secular Progressive Alliance) led by it has won 37 of 38 seats in Tamil Nadu and the lone seat in Puducherry (Congress) as well.
DMK will continue its "journey of victory," to protect people's interests, he said.
The historic win of his party-led front in the Lok Sabha polls showed the "secular approach," of the people which was nurtured by Dravidian stalwarts including reformist leader Periyar E V Ramasamy.
The people's verdict in Tamil Nadu showed that Dravidian movement -a reference to the DMK and a pointer to the Dravidian ideology which includes secularism and social justice- can never be decimated, he said.
As regards AIADMK's jibe that despite good showing in the polls, DMK's goal has not been realised, he said it was a "reflection of the frustration of the ruling party and political rivals."
The DMK had vowed to return to power in the state by winning the bypolls to all the 22 Assembly seats and strongly pitched for a government led by Congress president Rahul Gandhi at the Centre.
Apart from emerging as the third biggest party in the Lok Sabha, the DMK has wrested 12 seats from the AIADMK pushing its total strength in the Assembly to 101, Stalin said.
The DMK retained Tiruvarur in the by-elections and totally won 13 constituencies in the Assembly bypolls while the ruling AIADMK won 9 segments warding off the probability of threat to its government.
The AIADMK's strength has now risen to 123 while 118 members are enough for a simple majority in the 234-member House.
Stalin credited the DMK's victory to party workers and support of allies including the Congress.
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Bihar: Over 150 children fall ill after consuming 'mid-day meal' in Saharsa
Saharsa (PTI): More than 150 children were taken ill after allegedly consuming food that was part of the mid-day meal in a school in Bihar’s Saharsa district, a senior official said on Thursday.
The incident occurred at a middle school in Baluaha village of the district.
The official said that 115 children were undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital, while around 50 students were admitted to Mahishi Public Health Centre.
“We received information that several children fell ill after consuming the mid-day meal in Baluaha. The children were initially treated at the primary health centre, but later, many were referred to the Sadar Hospital,” Saharsa District Magistrate Deepesh Kumar told reporters.
“According to doctors, the health condition of the children has improved, but they will be kept under observation for some time. There is no need to panic. Some kids are having mild fever. They are being treated accordingly,” Kumar said.
Meanwhile, family members of some children claimed that a snake was found in the container in which cooked pulses was stored at the school.
Of the 545 students present in the school, 200 had already eaten their meals by the time the snake was spotted, and later complained of stomach ache and vomiting, they said.
Regarding the claims, the DM said food samples have been collected from the school.
“We will be able to comment on this only after the results of the tested samples arrive,” he said.
