Calling for taking all steps to uplift the Dravidian people, he said the party should never abandon the ideologies of Dravidian movement stalwarts, EV Ramasamy Periyar and CN Annadurai.

Chennai: Newly-appointed Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin on Tuesday said it was a “new birth for him” and called for removing the “right-wing” Narendra Modi government at the centre and the AIADMK government in the state to resolve the “grave challenge” in the current political scenario.

Accusing the Modi government of threatening the autonomy of the states, he said it is “trying to destabilise the judiciary, selection of governors”.

Addressing the party’s general council after his unanimous election, Stalin said: “Today’s political situation has come as a grave challenge. Self-respect, education, art, literature, religion are under attack by authoritative and communal forces.

“All this has dealt a blow to the secular principles,” he said.

Accusing the Modi government of threatening the autonomy of the states, he said it is “trying to destabilise the judiciary, selection of governors”.

urning to the state politics, he said: “Retrieving Tamil Nadu from the hands of thieves is our prime goal now”.

“The rulers of Tamil Nadu don’t have any principles,” he added.

In his emotional speech, Stalin termed the party his family now and sought the cadre’s support, saying that without them, “I cannot overcome the challenges prevailing before the Tamil community”.

Calling for all steps to uplift the Dravidian people, he said the party should never abandon the ideologies of Dravidian movement stalwarts, EV Ramasamy Periyar and CN Annadurai.

“We should remove the right wing Modi government in the centre and EPS (AIADMK) government in the state,” he said.

Stalin, who began his speech with a famous dialogue of his late father and president M. Karunanidhi, said he was not an orator like him, but had “courage like Karunanidhi to lead the party”.

“Karunanidhi recognised my hard work. So, I will continue to work hard for the party. DMK party and its symbol are higher than all individuals including me,” he said.

Following his speech, Stalin left for the Marina Beach to pay tributes at the memorials to Karunanidhi and Annadurai.