Virudhunagar (Tamil Nadu) [India], June 9 : DMK leader and former Tamil Nadu minister Thangam Thennarasu on Tuesday said that remarks made by DMK president MK Stalin about the functioning of the state government were being "distorted" and reiterated that the party was not seeking the dissolution or toppling of the government.
In an official statement, Thennarasu, who is also the Virudhunagar North District Secretary of the DMK, said Stalin's recent comments had been misrepresented as a prediction that the government would collapse within three months.
According to the statement, Stalin had earlier maintained that the DMK would not criticise the newly elected government for six months. However, Thennarasu said the opposition party was compelled to raise concerns due to what it described as a deterioration in the law and order situation in the state.
"Although our party president, MK Stalin had said that we will not criticise this government for six months, he felt compelled to speak because the situation has deteriorated severely. He stated that the government is functioning in such a way that one doubts whether it can even last three months, let alone six. His remarks are now being distorted and spread as though he had said that the government would collapse within three months," the statement said.
Thennarasu alleged that incidents such as murders, robberies, sexual assaults, narcotics trafficking, machete attacks, petrol bomb attacks, power cuts and farmers' protests had dominated public discourse since the formation of the new government a month ago.
Referring to criticism from some political leaders over Stalin's remarks, Thennarasu said the DMK chief had never advocated the removal of the government.
"Mr Stalin never said that the government would collapse, nor is that his position. Dissolving or toppling the government is not our stand. The people themselves have grown weary and disillusioned," he said in the statement.
The DMK leader further claimed that growing public dissatisfaction was visible on social media platforms and among sections of the electorate.
According to the statement, Stalin's remarks were intended to highlight public concerns over governance and law and order issues, and not to call for the government's downfall.