Chennai Tamil Nadu chief minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president MK Stalin on Sunday called for electing a secular union government that would protect India’s diversity, and pitched for the state’s rights.

With the start of Pongal festival, the biggest harvest festival of Tamil Nadu, Stalin called for an inclusive celebration by bringing in all religions and castes which he said should be the starting point towards electing a secular Union government in the upcoming parliamentary elections where the BJP will be aiming for a third straight term. “The situation is ripe to elect a government at the Union level which would protect India’s diversity, communal harmony, state and linguistic rights,” Stalin said.

The chief minister instructed party cadre to take forward the theme — “retrieving state rights” — of the ensuing youth conference led by his son and sports minister Udhayanidhi Stalin.

“The conference should resonate all the way in Delhi,” he said, adding that the Union government has an authoritarian attitude. The youth conference is to be held on January 21 in Tamil Nadu’s Salem.

“Two tasks await us — one is towards the development of Tamil Nadu and the second is to establish a social justice and secular governance at the level of the Union government,” Stalin said.

The DMK is part of the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).

Stalin’s statements come after he dispelled rumours that Udhayanidhi will be his deputy and dismissed speculations on his health.

“As preparation for the youth conference is picking up, people first spread false information about my health,” Stalin had said. “As the lie crumbled, they began spreading rumours that the charge of deputy chief minister is going to him (Udhayanidhi) and he silenced the rumour mongers.”

On January 12, speaking during the Tamil Diaspora Day held in Chennai, Stalin said that he is healthy. “Yesterday a paper had written that I’m not well, I’m not active. I laughed when I read it. What is wrong with me? When Tamil Nadu and its people are happy, what else do I need?… People’s happiness is the medicine that makes me cheerful,” said Stalin. “I’m working beyond my strength. I will continue to work for the people by ignoring such news reports.”

Stalin was referring to rumours that began circulating since his plans to go to Spain in January were unveiled. The chief minister had deputed Udhayanidhi to inaugurate two events — the Chennai Book Fair last week and the inauguration of the diaspora day on Thursday. Reporters on Thursday asked Udhayanidhi if he was going to become deputy chief minister in the light of him attending the events and his father being away later this month. “Everyone in the cabinet is the chief minister’s deputy,” said Udhayanidhi.

The chief minister is set to go to meet investors in Spain following the completion of the two-day Global Investors Meet which garnered ₹6.6 lakh crore here on January 8.

Since the elevation of Udhayanidhi, a first-time MLA, into the cabinet in 2022, there has been talks of succession plans for the party. One of his portfolios being special programme implementation, which gives him an overarching handle on important programmes of the government.