New Delhi [India], January 21 : Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Wednesday called Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) General Secretary TTV Dhinakaran's move to rejoin the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Tamil Nadu a "surrender," alleging "intimidation" by the alliance.
In an X post, Virudhunagar MP Manickam Tagore accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of using central agencies to coerce regional parties to comply with the NDA.
"Another surrender has taken place. It is now completely clear that Amit Shah is misusing central authority to take over AIADMK. Palaniswami is fully under control. First silence, then compliance and now complete surrender," he wrote.
Calling it an attack on federalism, Tagore, in a sharp jibe, said that the BJP is turning regional parties into "RSS puppets".
"AIADMK headquarters has no independence left under RSS control. With Dhinakaran also having surrendered, the picture is getting even clearer. Pressure is working on each one individually. Organisations are speaking out. Leaders are being made to stand in line. This is not coalition politics. This is the politics of intimidation. This is the way to destroy the federal principle; the politics of turning state parties into RSS puppets. Against RSS dominance, Tamil Nadu has always been the state that raises its voice. The people are watching. They will respond at the right time," the X post read.
About four months after Dhinakaran quit the NDA, the AMMK leader rejoined the alliance earlier today in the presence of Union Minister Piyush Goyal, who is also the BJP's Tamil Nadu election in-charge, in Chennai. The move comes ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, which will be held later this year.
Speaking at a press conference in Chennai, the AMMK leader said his party was happy to rejoin the alliance, asserting that its primary aim is to bring back the government of "Amma", former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. "For AMMK and Tamil Nadu's welfare, we have forgotten about all betrayal," Dhinakaran said, adding that past differences had been set aside in the larger interest of the state.
Goyal welcomed him back into the NDA, stating that the alliance would work collectively to defeat the DMK government in the upcoming Assembly elections.
The BJP-AIADMK-led alliance is looking forward to winning the upcoming elections against the DMK-Congress alliance, while debutant Vijay, who launched Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), has turned it into a triangular contest.
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