Chennai, Jan 9 (IANS) Actor-turned-politician and DMDK leader Vijaykant Sunday assured his party cadres that he would forge an alliance for the ensuing assembly elections without affecting the party's self-respect.
Speaking at his party's rally at Salem, around 320 km from here, he told party workers: "You leave the alliance decision to me. I will not pledge the party or its cadres while entering into an alliance."
"Even if I lose my property I will not allow you to lose your self-respect," Vijaykant declared.
Ever since the party was founded in 2005, the DMDK has been fighting the elections - assembly or Lok Sabha - on its own with Vijaykant declaring his alliance was with the people and god.
Party leaders claimed the DMDK's Rights Redemption Conclave was attended by around five million people.
While Vijaykant did not make any adverse comments against the AIADMK or other parties, he targeted the DMK and Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi in particular. Slamming Karunanidhi for playing the caste card "whenever it is convenient for him", Vijaykant said the DMK leader has Brahmins as his auditors, legal advisors and in other positions, but would condemn them in public.
Referring to Karunanidhi's statement that freebies will be provided by the DMK government till the poor remain in the state, Vijaykant said: "Till Karunanidhi is there in power, the poor will continue to be poor."
He said under the DMK rule, the below the poverty line category has grown if one goes by the 3.17 crore people - nearly 50 percent of the state's population - receiving the free saree and dhothi from the government on the occasion of the Pongal festival.
"Karunanidhi does not give anything out of his pocket. It is only out of the tax-payers money that he announces free schemes which would ultimately benefit his family," Vijaykant said.
Charging that former communications minister A.Raja has brought down the self respect of Tamils with the 2G spectrum scam, Vijaykant wondered why Karunanidhi fears a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe if he has nothing to worry about.