Keen not to upset ally, Congress seeks report on leaders criticising DMK

Chennai: Keen on avoiding any strain in ties with its key ally, the Congress is believed to have asked its Tamil Nadu in-charge Ajoy Kumar to enquire into statements made by party leaders against the DMK government and the Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) and submit a detailed report.

The development comes close on the heels of Congress leaders, including PCC chief K Selvaperunthagai and Sivaganga MP Karti P Chidambaram, criticising the DMK on a slew of issues and talking about the party losing its “individuality” in Tamil Nadu due to its alliance with Dravidian parties.

Karti went a step ahead last week by suggesting that Congress MLAs should find a place in the Tamil Nadu Cabinet even as he spoke about the government’s failure to keep a check on the brewing and sale of illicit liquor and the increase in the number of murders. The Lok Sabha MP also said youngsters would continue to join new parties if Congress doesn’t talk about people’s issues.

Selvaperunthagai, who took over as the state unit chief just before the Lok Sabha elections, too criticised the DMK on the murder of state BSP chief K Armstrong and his statement that how long the Congress should be dependent on alliance partners drew a sharp response from none other than his party colleagues. There have also been instances of state-level and district-level leaders of the Congress criticising the DMK government on the hooch tragedy in Kallakurichi and the murder of Armstrong.

The ruling party has been upset with comments from Congress leaders against the government and the alliance which has won every election it contested since 2019.

“Since some of the comments don’t bode well for the alliance in Tamil Nadu and nationally, a report has been sought on the issue. The enquiry will cover comments or criticism of the DMK by Congress leaders. Some comments were unnecessary and should have been avoided,” a source in the know told DH.

DMK and Congress have been in an alliance since 2004 except between March 2013 and February 2016 and have contested every poll together barring the elections to Lok Sabha in 2014. DMK was also the prime mover behind the I.N.D.I.A. alliance as it was Chief Minister M K Stalin who made it clear in March 2023 that any alliance that takes on the BJP without Congress will never reach the shore.

DMK, as a party, is quite sensitive to demands for power sharing at the state level or even suggestions in this regard. The party had refused to share power with Congress between 2006-2011 despite the government surviving for five years only on the support of the 34 MLAs of the national party.

A senior TNCC leader told DH that the PCC chief himself is “confused” as he talks about the “individuality” of the party one day and retracts his comments the next day. The leader said no one, including the DMK, has stopped the Congress from expanding its base in Tamil Nadu, where it lost power in 1967.

“One should understand that Congress will not gain anything by attacking DMK. We won ten seats in TN and Puducherry this election and it was possible only because of the alliance with the DMK. Moreover, the Congress and DMK have been allies for long and such statements should be avoided,” the leader said. He added that most leaders who criticise the DMK now have won the elections in an alliance with the party.

Another leader said there won’t be any strain in the alliance between the DMK and Congress as Rahul Gandhi and Stalin share an “excellent rapport” and call each other their brother.

However, another senior leader said the party shouldn’t gag those who seek “accountability” from the DMK on issues that concern the people.

“Just because we are in an alliance, does it mean that we should keep quiet and parrot DMK’s line? Why should we run a separate party then? Who will trust Congress if we don’t talk about people’s problems? We should draw a line and shouldn’t cross that but to say one can’t talk anything against DMK isn’t good for the party,” the third leader said.