After being fired from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led Democratic Progressive Alliance in Tamil Nadu, the Pattali Makkal Katchi was neither shocked nor surprised by it, rather the party thanked to the expulsion saying its daggers would now get even sharper.
"Hitherto, we have been functioning within some limitations by drawing a circle around us to maintain coalition dharma. There is no Lakshman Rekha now and we will express our views and take up public issues more freely and loudly," an unfazed PMK founder S Ramadoss, said in a statement.
Wasting no time in launching a diatribe against the DMK for chucking out the PMK from the DPA, Dr Ramadoss said it was nothing new for the DMK to pick up personal issues, blow them up for political reasons and end up with bitter decisions.
"In the past, the DMK had refused to have any tie-ups with the Communist Party of India-Marxist as long as N Sankaraiah was the state secretary. History has repeated itself. This showed that the DMK had not changed its style," he charged.
Asserting that the PMK was not responsible for the DMK taking such a decision, Ramadoss alleged that the DMK talked of alliance and coalition dharma. But when it comes to taking decisions, they take it unilaterally.
When questioned, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi himself said that the government was run by the DMK, he added.
"If the coalition partners had to support all the decisions of the ruling party, why should they have separate parties? They could as well dissolve their parties and merge with the DMK and sing peans in its favour. This is what the DMK is expecting from its allies," he charged.
Reiterating that the contentious remarks made by PMK functionary Kaduvetti Guru had been solved six months back with Karunanidhi himself putting a full stop to it, Ramadoss said the DMK had raked up the issue only to divert the attention and shift the blame on the PMK.
The PMK's goal was clear and the mission was stronger. "We will not deviate even an inch from it. We will raise our voice further for the welfare of the people and to protect the state's interests," he added.