Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin cautioned on Saturday that if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) returns to power in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, there will be "no more federalism" and things will deteriorate to the point where "even states will not exist."
At a rally in Thanjavur, the Chief Minister launched a stinging assault on the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying, "2024 will decide whether democracy will continue in India or not."
"If the BJP comes back to power, there won't be federalism, democratic norms, or parliamentary processes, and it will deteriorate to the point that even states won't exist," he stated.
In his address, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief additionally cited the fragmentation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir to reinforce his point, saying that the same destiny may befall Tamil Nadu tomorrow.
"We saw how the state of Jammu and Kashmir was split in two before our eyes. It was turned into a union territory without the consent of the locals. Political leaders were placed under house arrest. There is now no legislative assembly, and elections have not been held in five years. Even now, they have not announced elections in Jammu and Kashmir. "This is the BJP's dictatorship," he contended.
"This crisis might affect Tamil Nadu tomorrow. If the BJP returns to power, the same scenario might happen in every state. Even BJP-ruled states would be at risk," Stalin said.
He also said that the BJP is targeting opposition politicians ahead of the election.
"As elections approach, many opposition leaders have been detained to keep them from canvassing." "The Prime Minister is abusing his authority not only to crush the opposition but also to destroy the country," he stated.
Stalin further accused the Center of failing to provide cash to the state, claiming that Prime Minister Modi was aware that Tamil voters would not vote for him as a result. He also said that the Prime Minister was experiencing a lack of sleep because of the India alliance.