Chennai: Squarely blaming DMK for snapping ties with it, Congress on Tuesday took a dig at its former ally for its "belated" realisation of supporting a secular party at the Centre.
DMK seemed to have realised the strength and value of Congress belatedly, party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said without taking the name of its leadership, apparently referring to statements by party chief M Karunanidhi that his party was ready to accept any "hand" of secular party.
Congress never disturbed the long-standing alliance with DMK. "If you talk of gratitude, all I can say is those who have ingratitude writ large can hardly talk of lack of gratitidue from Congress party," he said.
Singhvi's observation comes against the background of Karunanidhi offering support in a post poll scenario to the Congress if the "ungrateful party", expressed regret.
Outlining several infrastructural schemes of the Congress-led UPA including a desalination project to provide drinking water in Tamil Nadu, Singhvi said, "Gratitidue must come from the regional parties whether they are in alliance with us or not. People who have woken up belatedly realising the strength and value of Congress should wait till May 16."
Hitting out at DMK, he said, "I don't mean to recount the several acts of support (be it) getting their persons elected, and today if people suggest ingratitude on our part and then simultaneously extend an olive branch, they (then) realise our true strength and value of Congress as an independent fighting machine in this election."
DMK had taken the support of five Congress MLAs to ensure the victory of Karunanidhi's daugther Kanimozhi in the Rajya Sabha elections in June last year. "Wait till May 16 and those who have taunted and criticised us will be queueing up before us," he said, when asked if his party would express regret as demanded by Karunanidhi.
Disimissing the claim of Modi wave, he said BJP was "riding piggy back" on several parties in Tamil Nadu. "If there is a wave you ride on the wave...the BJP is riding piggy back on others," he said in an obvious reference to BJP's alliance with DMDK, MDMK, PMK and others.
Replying to a question, he said Congress would win a "significant, respectable number of seats" in the state. On India abstaining on a vote against Sri Lanka in the UNHRC, he said it was "neither an agreement or disagreement," adding no regime had done as much for the welfare of Lankan Tamils like the UPA.
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