Udhayanidhi Stalin says DMK should ‘never trust Congress again’

Udhayanidhi Stalin launched a sharp attack on the Indian National Congress, accusing it of betraying the DMK after Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. He urged party workers never to trust Congress again and called for stronger grassroots and social media outreach

Chennai: In a blistering attack that solidifies a major fracture in Tamil Nadu’s political landscape, DMK Youth Wing chief Udhayanidhi Stalin has exhorted his party cadre to “never trust the Congress again”, accusing the former ally of “stabbing the DMK in the back” after reaping electoral benefits.

“For over 20 years, the Congress party rode on our backs. Today, they have stabbed us in the back. No one should ever forget this. We must never trust the Congress at any point in the future, nor should we ever let them come near us again,” Udhayanidhi said.

---

The Congress that won five seats in the April 23 Assembly polls as part of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, switched sides immediately after the results and extended support to Vijay-led TVK, which emerged as the single largest party lacking a majority to form the government.

Addressing a DMK Youth Wing meeting here on Saturday, Udhayanidhi launched an unsparing tirade against the grand old party, pinning the blame for the BJP’s consecutive national victories squarely on the Congress rather than the saffron party’s top leadership. The Leader of Opposition remarked that he previously believed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and

Home Minister Amit Shah were the primary drivers behind the BJP’s continuous electoral successes. “But that is not the case. The main reason for the BJP’s victories is the Congress party. That is clearly evident now,” he asserted.

Lamenting the DMK’s absolute dedication to the alliance in past general and Assembly elections, Udhayanidhi highlighted how DMK workers spilled “blood and sweat” to ensure the victory of Congress candidates, primarily to safeguard secularism and keep the BJP out of Tamil Nadu.

“Even in this election, a virtually non-existent Congress managed to win five seats solely because of our leader’s instructions and the tireless work of DMK cadres. But immediately after winning, they ran away for the sake of power, without even a courtesy intimation,” he alleged, adding that the Congress lacked basic gratitude and political civility. He expressed confidence that even if the DMK did not teach them a lesson, the people of Tamil Nadu would soon do so.

Shifting focus to internal party strategy following recent electoral setbacks, the DMK leader urged a thorough course-correction rather than playing a blame game. He specifically pointed out gaps in the party’s social media strategy and a failure to politically engage voters at the household level.

“We campaigned outside, but I suspect we failed to campaign within our own homes. Before you go out to politicise strangers, talk politics with your family members and children in a language they understand,” he told the youth wing members, emphasising the need to actively counter the ruling dispensation’s “online mafia” and “fake narratives” through data-driven content creation.