DMK president M.K. Stalin on Friday said his party stands firmly with the Prime Minister on any steps he takes against China to protect the integrity and sovereignty of India.
Speaking during the virtual all-party meeting called by the Prime Minister to brief on the Galwan stand-off, Mr. Stalin welcomed Narendra Modi’s statement that India would protect its self-respect and every inch of its territory from any external aggression.
“The DMK, and the people of Tamil Nadu, are always at the forefront, when it comes to defending our country. We will not retreat, when the battle cry is sounded. Let us go forth, as a country together, and restore the pride of India,” Mr. Stalin said.
Paying his respects to the soldiers killed during the stand-off, Mr. Stalin said these sacrifices would further unite our country and give strength to the citizens.
National interests
“As far as the DMK is concerned, we have always stood in support of the national interests, on all such occasions. There are different parties here with different ideologies. Nevertheless, we are all united when it comes to patriotism, and in our hope that our fellow citizens have a better future. All of us here share the belief that our borders must be protected. There can be no differences about that,” he said.
The DMK president recalled that the party had extended its support during the 1962 India-China war, 1971 India-Pakistan war and the 1999 Kargil war.
“We have always worked to strengthen the hands of the Prime Ministers, be it Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru or Indira Gandhi or Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Today, we have no hesitation in supporting the Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said.
Mr. Stalin said that during the 1962 India-China War, the DMK was the first political party to condemn China, collect money and donate it to the India’s Defence Fund.
