Responding to the remarks made by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Member of Parliament (MP) A Raja against the Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI(M) leaders as “totally unfair,” the party on Wednesday, January 8, reiterated its stand on the right to protest in the state. The party reiterated its commitment to upholding the right to protest, amidst ongoing tensions with its ally, the ruling DMK, over the government’s stance on protests and its handling of the Samsung workers’ agitation.
A Raja said in a meeting had said, “Ideologies will eventually fade if leaders lose hope on it. Since communist leaders turned selfish and became diluted, their ideology failed and diluted.”
At the CPI(M) headquarters, the party’s new state secretary, P Shanmugam, dismissed these comments as baseless. “The allegations made by A Raja against our leaders are completely unfounded and unfair,” Shanmugam said.
Asserting the right to protest, Shanmugam said, "Denying the right to protest is unlawful, as the Constitution grants this right to everyone. While the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) approaches the court to obtain permission for processions or protests, we rely on the police. The police should regulate protests in a manner that does not disturb the general public. We have planned to meet Chief Minister MK Stalin regarding this matter,” he said.
He further criticized the government’s actions, describing them as an “unannounced emergency.”
“This is not just about the denial of our protest march; it extends to the mishandling of the Samsung workers’ issue.” Shanmugam added,“We strongly oppose the DMK-led government’s approach, as it creates a dangerous precedent that large corporations cannot have trade unions. Despite the Chief Minister’s commendable efforts to mediate between the company and the workers, the formation of a trade union remains stalled even after a court order.”
While highlighting these disagreements, CPI(M) leaders reaffirmed their alliance with the DMK, acknowledging its role in countering religious extremism. “It is practically impossible to effectively challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the RSS without the DMK,” Shanmugam stated.