Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin  |  Photo Credit: PTI
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday wrote to 37 leaders of ‘key’ political parties and urged them to form a “true” Union of States. He asked the leaders to participate in his All India Federation for Social Justice in order to ensure “everything for everyone”.
In his letter, the DMK chief claimed that India’s unique, diverse, multi-cultural federation is “under threat” of “bigotry” and “religious hegemony”.
“These forces can only be fought if all who believe in equality, self-respect and social justice unite together. It is not a question of political gain and brute-establishing the pluralistic identity of our Republic, as visualised by our founding fathers,” he said.
Stalin then stressed that all must take extraordinary steps to eradicate gender as well as caste discrimination, and also enable the differently able to compete in the mainstream.
“Time has finally arrived to stand together as a true Union of States as we did in order to establish the Mandal Commission,” he urged the leaders of political parties.
Concluding his letter, the Tamil Nadu CM appealed to the leaders to join the All India Federation for Social Justice and noted that it is vital for all the progressive forces to join hands to protect the interests of the oppressed.
A DMK release said the invite was sent to Sonia Gandhi (Congress), O Panneerselvam (AIADMK), Lalu Prasad Yadav (RJD), Farooq Abdullah (J & K National Conference), Sharad Pawar (NCP), D Raja (CPI), Sitharam Yechury (CPI-M), H D Deve Gowda (JD-Secular), N Chandrababu Naidu (TDP), Naveen Patnaik (BJD), Mamata Banerjee (TMC), Mehbooba Mufti (J & K PDP) and Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena).
Arvind Kejriwal (AAP), K Chandrasekhar Rao (TRS), YS Jaganmohan Reddy (YSRC), Hemant Soren (JMM), N Rangasamy (NR Congress), Lalan Singh (JD-U), Akhilesh Yadav (SP), Mayawati (BSP), Pawan Kalyan (Jana Sena), Velappan Nair (AIFB), Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM), KM Khader Mohideen (IUML) were among others who were requested to join.
Renu Jogi (Janata Congress), Amarinder Singh (Punjab Lok Congress), Sukhbir Singh Badal (SAD), Chirag Paswan (Lok Janshakti faction), Raj Thackeray (MNS), Om Prakash Chautala (INLD) were invited. Kerala Congress (M) and Tamil Nadu parties, MDMK, PMK, VCK, MMK and KMDK were also urged to join the federation.