After Sonia Gandhi unveiled the statue of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK patriarch, M Karunanidhi, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M K Stalin addressed a rally and proposed Rahul Gandhi as the next Prime Ministerial candidate. Sonia Gandhi was invited for the ceremony by DMK chief during opposition meeting held on 10 December in Delhi, reported Hindustan Times.

Hours before Sonia and Rahul Gandhi reached Chennai, BJP supporters started trending #GoBackSonia on Twitter which became the Top 5 trends by 11 am. It looked like a retaliation for the #GoBackModi campaign that went viral on Twitter in April when PM Modi visited Chennai, reported The New Minute.

Many people tweeted questioning Sonia’s contribution in Tamil Nadu. Reportedly, on Sunday morning, many BJP supporters accused her of corruption as well. “Vajpayee Govt stopped arms supply to Govt Sri Lanka, that Congress Govt headed by SoniaG resumed as soon as they took over (sic),” read a tweet.

Vajpayee Govt stopped arms supply to Govt Sri Lanka, that Congress Govt headed by SoniaG resumed as soon as they took over.

600+ Indian Tamil fishermen shot dead by Srilankan navy during 10 years of UPA, not a single incident since Modi took over.#GoBackSonia

— Ethirajan Srinivasan (@Ethirajans) December 16, 2018

There were also some non-BJP supporters who opposed Sonia for the pro-Sri Lanka policy that India adopted during civil war leading to the end of LTTE. 

Stalin proposed Rahul Gandhi as PM candidate

While addressing the rally, M K Stalin said that Rahul Gandhi can beat Modi Government.

“I propose we’ll install a new Prime Minister in Delhi. I propose the candidature of Rahul Gandhi from Tamil Nadu. He has got the ability to defeat the fascist Modi government,” ANI quoted Stalin as saying.

Many politicians were present to attend the ceremony including Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala, Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil superstar cum politician Rajnikanth. Former union minister, Shatrughan Sinha was also present at Anna Arivalayam, the DMK office.

After unveiling the statue, the Gandhis, along with other opposition party leaders went to Marina Beach to pay tribute to M Karunanidhi at his memorial. 

It was the first-time senior opposition party leaders gathered after Congress won majority in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh assembly election. Stalin along with top opposition leaders are expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new Congress CMs. 

Attack on Modi Government

Stalin attacked PM Modi while addressing the rally. He alleged that under PM Modi’s governance, the country has gone 15 years back. “If we give another chance to him, surely the country will go 50 years back. PM Modi is behaving like a king, that’s why we’ve all come together to safeguard democracy and country,” added.  He also expressed his faith in Rahul Gandhi’s ability as the Prime Minister.

Rahul Gandhi too attacked the Modi Government while praising late DMK chief M Karunanidhi. He alleged that today’s government is attacking voice and cultures of Tamil Nadu as well as the country. “In memory of Karunanidhi Ji, all voices in India are going to get together and defeat the BJP in next election,” he said, as per ANI, reported HT.

Reportedly, he also alleged that Modi government is “destroying” all the institutions of the country. He said that we need to stand together to stop the destruction of not only the ideas of India but also for the destruction of the Supreme Court, the Reserve Bank of India and The Election Commission.

While referring to the RBI Governor, Urjit Patel’s sudden resignation and CBI chief Alok Verma’s leave amidst the spat with deputy Rakesh Asthana, Rahul Gandhi said that the government itself is caught into corruption. “Federalism is destroyed. They are misusing CBI. It’s a premier institution for corruption control; now it’s caught in corruption itself,” he alleged.

He accused the Governors of Goa, Nagaland, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and other states for misusing their powers.

Sonia Gandhi also supported Rahul Gandhi and their unity in the opposition party in her speech. She said that she wishes that the mutual support of their parties should remain as strong as it was under Karunanidhi’s guidance.

Also Read: Five-Time Chief Minister Of Tamil Nadu, Know About DMK Supremo M. Karunanidhi