Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday said he will be a "danger" to those who betray Tamil Nadu and want to hinder its growth and said the Centre's aggressive push for delimitation was to "punish" best-performing states like Tamil Nadu.
With two days left for the state Assembly election, Stalin, who is the president of DMK, recalled the opposition's claim that he was "more dangerous than Kalaignar (late Chief Minister M Karunanidhi)" and said that he could never be compared with Karunanidhi, who, more than being a father, was an inspiring leader to him.
"During the Assembly election in 2021, people said 'Stalin is more dangerous than Kalaignar'. I can never be compared with him. I addressed him as the leader more often than I called him father. One thing comes to my mind when they say so. I will always be a danger to those who want to deceive Tamil Nadu and want to hinder its growth," he said in a video message posted on the social media platform 'X.'
He asked, "If I am one step ahead of Kalaignar in this, isn't that a matter of pride for me?"
"During the past five years, people placed trust in me as the chief minister, and I rose to the occasion by dispensing welfare assistance and even defending the state's interests," Stalin said.
"Most importantly, I can still proudly say that I have fought for the Tamil people against the Union government, which always betrays Tamil Nadu... Development with social justice is my primary goal," he said and listed out the numerous welfare initiatives his DMK government had launched.
He said that he elevated Tamil Nadu above many states in diverse sectors, including industry, agriculture, and education. As a result, Tamil Nadu's economic growth has touched a double-digit figure of 11.19 per cent, which no other state has reached. "I am confident that we will reach greater heights," he added.
On the delimitation bill defeated in the Parliament, Stalin said: "It was brought specifically to punish us, the best-performing state in industrial development, and for effectively controlling population growth."
He warned that the "atrocities" would unfold if the AIADMK-led NDA won the election.
Stalin took strong exception to the DMK being labelled as an anti-Hindu party and claimed his party was never against the Hindus. "To those who spread such false propaganda, I have only one thing to say. Tamil Nadu, a state governed by Dravidian parties for 60 years, has the highest number of temples in India. Today, the BJP is the owner of the slave party called AIADMK," he said.
So long as the DMK existed, history will say that the BJP and their "cruel anti-people ideology" could not win in Tamil Nadu, he said and appealed to the people that the good work of the DMK should continue for the next five years to make Tamil Nadu a prosperous state.
"As your father, elder brother, younger brother, and comrade, I appeal to you to vote for us on the Rising Sun symbol and the symbols of our Secular Progressive Alliance candidates, for good governance to continue," the DMK president said in the video.