BJP Mocks Stalin’s ‘Saffron’ Remark, Says DMK Allied With Party in 1999

Chennai, Mar 10: The Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP on Tuesday criticised Chief Minister M K Stalin over his allegation that the party aims to “saffronise” the state, pointing to the DMK’s past alliance with the BJP led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in 1999.

Tamil Nadu BJP chief spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy responded to Stalin’s remarks made during the DMK’s 12th party conference in Tiruchirappalli on March 9. He said it was former Chief Minister and DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi who had aligned with the BJP during the NDA government led by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Thirupathy referred to the period when the DMK joined the NDA coalition during the 1999 general elections. After the alliance’s victory, several DMK leaders were inducted into the Union cabinet headed by Vajpayee.

In a post on social media platform X, the BJP leader said Stalin’s criticism overlooked the political history of his own party’s cooperation with the BJP during that period.

He also made a light-hearted reference to the DMK’s party colours — black and red — noting that the same colours are often associated with the attire worn by devotees of Lord Ayyappa and Om Shakti followers, who traditionally support saffron symbolism.

The BJP’s response comes after Stalin accused the party of attempting to expand its influence in Tamil Nadu. Speaking at the Tiruchirappalli conference, the DMK leader said a “saffron crowd” wanted to dominate the state but asserted that the DMK would not allow it.

Stalin also criticised AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami, alleging that he had aligned closely with the BJP for political gain and had effectively surrendered the party’s independence.

The chief minister further claimed that the BJP was using the AIADMK to weaken the opposition party and expand its own footprint in the state’s political landscape.