As the Lok Sabha poll campaigning heads into the home stretch in Tamil Nadu, which will vote in the first phase on April 19, chief minister MK Stalin said South India will deliver a blow to the dominance of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the general elections. In an interview, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief spoke on several issues, including the BJP’s alleged non-cooperation in opposition-ruled states through governors, and a row over Katchatheevu island. Edited excerpts:

Who is your primary rival in this election, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or BJP?

It is a war of ideologies. The ideology of BJP is an anathema to social justice, equality, democracy, fraternity, secularism and federalism, the values cherished and espoused by the Dravidian movement we belong to. It is for this reason we vehemently oppose it. The AIADMK, on the other hand, is an opportunistic and ideologically bankrupt party that had surrendered to the BJP. Hence, we don’t differentiate the two parties.

The AIADMK is our primary rival on the field, but it is the fascist BJP regime, which is our foremost ideological enemy, we want to throw out of power to save India. The leaders of different political spectrum across India have buried their differences and joined hands to put up a spirited fight against the autocratic regime. We have one agenda and one rival — save the Constitution and end the majoritarian misrule of the BJP.

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The BJP is focussing on strengthening their presence in the south. How is the DMK preparing to face it?

The reality is that the BJP’s influence is waning even in north India. Every family in India has been affected in one way or another by the anti-people Modi government. All sections of the society, mainly the poor, farmers, business community, housewives, students, fishermen, and youth have been enduring the pain of BJP’s misgovernance over the past 10 years. Modi’s deception stands exposed owing to unprecedented levels of inflation and unemployment. The BJP’s image has been shattered in north India.

The BJP leadership is focusing on the South to compensate for the eventual loss they are staring at in the North. The Congress secured people’s mandate in Karnataka and Telangana only recently despite BJP’s desperate efforts and multiple pompous road shows of Modi. The so-called saffron surge in Tamil Nadu is a figment of imagination. Tamil Nadu will remain a secular citadel like ever. The people of south India will deliver a deadly blow to the BJP this time too.

How will the INDIA bloc fare without a prime ministerial face?

The term INDIA is our prime ministerial face. After June 4, India will get a competent Prime Minister who is genuinely concerned about the people.

Who do you think will make a good Prime Minister?

The ideal Prime Minister is one who requires no artificial image, but rather embodies care for the poor, celebrates plurality and steering the country of 1.4 billion with true love and commitment. This country once witnessed VP Singh, the saviour of social justice as Prime Minister. His memory is still cherished. He maintained a casual demeanour while swearing-in and leaving office.

During the 2004 election, no one anticipated that Manmohan Singh would become the next Prime Minister. Sonia Gandhi entrusted the mandate she received on Singh, who took the greater heights without much fanfare. There are many eminent leaders in INDIA bloc with exceptional qualities to lead the country.

What is your response to the opposition’s attack that the DMK and Congress are anti-Hindu, corrupt and practising dynastic politics?

The BJP’s tactic is to slander and imputations on the opposition to divert its 10 years of failure. We are committed to protecting the interests of people of all faiths and communal harmony. The three years of DMK’s governance in Tamil Nadu has defeated the false propaganda that we are anti-Hindu. People of Tamil Nadu have witnessed renovation and consecration of over 1,500 Hindu temples under my chief ministership. Temple properties worth ₹5,000 crore have been retrieved from encroachers, some of whom are BJP functionaries. We have appointed a high powered committee comprising scholars and heads of mutts to renovate heritage temples and improve administration of temples. This government delivers on its promises and devotees are happy.

The BJP should have appreciated our good work. Instead they unleashed false propaganda to foment communal trouble in the peaceful state. The BJP is constantly trying to exploit people’s faith for narrow political gains. We are true saviours of the majority of Hindus as we care for their empowerment and welfare. The BJP has done nothing for SC, ST and OBC people to get their due share in education, employment and higher echelons of power. If they are truly concerned about the well-being of the Hindus, why is the BJP selling petrol, diesel and LPG cylinders at historically high prices?

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What are major issues in this election?

If Modi returns to power, there will be no further elections. People have realised that he intends to transform the electoral democracy into an elected autocracy. The paramount issue in this election is to prevent India from becoming a totalitarian, unitary state. The idea of India conceived by our forefathers and we live in will perish if Modi regains power.

Wealth is concentrated in the hands of a select few. Media organisations like yours will not be able to operate independently. Censorship will become absolute as we witness today in most of the Hindi and English channels. Modi’s return to power is not even beneficial for the BJP. The party will cease to exist; only Modi will remain. Please do not dismiss this as mere political rhetoric from Stalin, a party leader. Take my words seriously.

The BJP blames DMK and Congress, including your father M Karunanidhi for ceding the Katchatheevu island. Do you think the BJP is doing this to bring matters of national security into the campaign?

If the BJP is so serious about national security as it is claiming, it should have retrieved Katchatheevu and stopped the attacks on Indian fishermen. Prime Minister Modi has travelled to Sri Lanka several times. Has he ever raised the Katchatheevu issue with Sri Lanka? Has he ever condemned the nationalisation and auctioning of Indian fishing vessels? It has never happened in the past. He is neither bothered about protecting the livelihood of fishermen nor retrieving Katchatheevu.

During the Katchatheevu dispute between India and Sri Lanka, the DMK opposed and resisted in Parliament and passed a resolution in the assembly asserting that the island should not be ceded. The politics surrounding Katchatheevu are mere crocodile tears for the Modi government, which has woken up from the deep slumber a month before Tamil Nadu goes for polls. The grim situation in the India-China border reveals the extent to which the Modi government is compromising the country’s security.

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During your campaign tour what do think appeals to voters and what requires improvement under the DMK government?

We highlight our achievements over the last three years and seek votes based on our performance. Every family in Tamil Nadu has benefited in one way or other from the welfare schemes implemented by the DMK government. Over 1.15 crore women are receiving Urimaithogai (entitlement for women under Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam) of ₹1,000 every month. Millions of women travel free on bus (Vidiyal Payanam) everyday. The travel freedom enjoyed by women encourages their mobility, social participation and empowerment.

The pioneering breakfast scheme being benefited daily by 16 lakh students (Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme) has ensured increasing of attendance and improved learning ability. We provide ₹1,000 to girl students who have studied in government schools and pursuing college (Pudhumai Penn Scheme). We are planning to extend the same benefit to boys (Thamizh Pudhalvan Scheme). These are some of our social welfare schemes being implemented and are benefiting the people immensely.

You have said the governor’s role should be abolished. You have had a difficult time with governor R N Ravi against whom you moved the Supreme Court.

Neither I nor the DMK have any personal grudge against governor R N Ravi. Our opposition to the overreach of Raj Bhavans is half a century old. All along we have been vociferously opposing the political and unconstitutional abuse of the governor’s office to run parallel governments in opposition ruled states. Modi promised cooperative federalism. But in practice, they are running a non-cooperation movement through Raj Bhavans.

We have promised to do away with the post of governors in our manifesto. However, as long as it exists, we insist that the Union government must consult the respective chief ministers when appointing governors. We have insisted on implementing the recommendations of the justice Punchhi Commission, justice Venkatachalaiah Commission and justice Sarkaria Commission to prevent misadventures of governors.

Furthermore, we have pledged in our manifesto to remove Article 361, which grants immunity to governors from legal action. The issue now is not Ravi himself. Authoritarianism is the problem. As the federal INDIA flourishes, such trivial matters will fade away like old relics.