Upping its ante, the DMK and its allies, including the Congress and the Left parties, staged protest demonstrations across Tamil Nadu on September 20, against the BJP-led Union government for its ‘anti-people, anti-farmer and anti-democracy’ policies.

Again, on Monday, September 27, DMK cadres and its allies expressed solidarity with the nationwide 'Bharat Bandh' called by various farmers unions, coinciding with their year-long agitations demanding the scrapping of the three Farm Laws.

Senior leaders of the ruling DMK, the Congress, Left Parties, MDMK, VCK and Dravidar Kazhagam led the protests, denouncing the Union government for pursuing ‘retrograde and repressive policies’, detrimental to the interest of wide sections of the people, plunging the economy in crisis and putting democracy in peril.

Holding placards and black flags, they demanded that the Modi government repeal the contentious farm laws and roll back the skyrocketing prices of petrol, diesel and LPG cooking gas. They also demanded a Supreme Court monitored probe into the Pegasus row and shelving of the Assets Monetization Pipeline (AMP) scheme. This was the first major agitation against the Union government in Tamil Nadu after the DMK came back to power on May 7 this year.

The state-wide protest was in deference to the call given by leaders of 19 opposition parties, including DMK President and Chief Minister M.K Stalin at the virtual meet chaired by Congress President Sonia Gandhi in Delhi on August 20. Pressing the 11-point charter of demands, the leaders called for a 11-day nation-wide protest against the Union government from September 20 to September 30.

Addressing the leaders, Ms Gandhi had said “Our ultimate goal is the 2024 Lok Sabha poll for which we have to begin planning systematically with the single-minded objective of giving to our country a government that believes in the values of the freedom movement and in the principles and provisions of our Constitution. This is a challenge,

but together we can and must rise to it because there is simply no alternative to working cohesively together. We all have our compulsions, but clearly, a time has come when the interests of our nation demand that we rise above them,” she said.

Taking part in the meeting, Mr Stalin slammed the Union government for destroying federalism. “Federalism is being destroyed due to the scant respect BJP has for States’ rights and it is imperative that the Opposition stands united at this hour,” he tweeted. Referring to opposition unity during the monsoon session of Parliament, he said “the session witnessed our unity. It must grow stronger.”

In view of the Covid-19 restrictions in place, the protests were held in Tamil Nadu in front of the party offices and leaders’ residences. “The protests were energetic and vehement throughout the state though the cadre have to confine themselves in small groups in view of the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions,” a senior DMK leader said.

DMK Parliamentary Party leader and former Union Minister T.R. Baalu, who led the protest in front of the Sriperumbudur MP office in Tambaram, along with MLA S.R Raja, slammed the Union government for its decision to monetize assets across key sectors. He accused the BJP led Union government of giving the assets, built with public money for over a period of 70 years on a platter to the private sectors.

In the black flag demonstration held at Erode, former Minister and DMK Deputy General Secretary Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan, cadre of DMK and other allies raised slogans against the Union government demanding the repeal of farm laws and roll back of hike in prices of petrol, diesel and LPG cooking gas cylinders.

Former Union Minister and DMK Deputy General Secretary A. Raja, MP led the protest in front of ‘Anna Arivalayam’, the DMK headquarters and raised slogans against the Union government. DMK leaders TKS Elangovan, Prof J Constandine Ravindran, Anabagam Kalai, Thuraimugam Kaja, Poochi Murugan and MLA Ezhilan were among others who joined the protest.

DMK Women’s wing secretary Kanimozhi, MP, led the protest at CIT colony. “The economy is sliding, there are no jobs and people are struggling to make ends meet,” she said in a tweet. They condemned the Union government for refusing to repeal the farm laws, roll back hike in prices of petrol, diesel and LPG cooking gas and privatization.

DMK Youth wing secretary Udayanidhi Stalin, MLA led the black flag protest in front of ‘Anbagam’, DMK youth wing headquarters along with MLAs Mayilai T Velu, Thayagam Kavi, R D Sekar and Prabakar Raja, DMK youth wing deputy secretary S Joyal. They raised slogans against price hike and privatization.

Former Union Minister and senior DMK leader S Jagathrakshakan led the protest in front of his residence in Adyar. DMK Trade wing secretary Kasi Muthumanickam, ‘Veera Vanniyar Peravai’ District President Saidai Mohan were among others who participated in the protest and raised slogans against the Union government.

On September 27, the 'Bharat Bandh' evoked good response in Tamil Nadu, with hundreds of ruling party-men and their allies joining protesting farmers in the Cauvery delta districts, Madurai, Tiruchy, and other parts of the state.