Chennai:
The DMK has begun its protest in Tamil Nadu by distributing pamphlets door-to-door explaining to people what it calls the ruling AIADMK's misdeeds.
And the DMK cadres, including their chief M Karunanidhi, have a new dress code. They are are wearing black outfits today as a mark of protest. Mr Karunanidhi had announced that he will no longer be seen in the white shirt and yellow shawl that is his trademark. Instead, the Opposition leader says black shirts will now be part of his uniform.
Mr Karunanidhi had originally called for a human chain of party workers, all dressed in black, to protest against the Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's 'anti-people policies'. The police, however, denied permission for that and so, the DMK later decided to change it to a door-to-door pamphlet distribution campaign.
Writing in party mouthpiece 'Murasoli' yesterday, Mr Karunanidhi recalled that he was the first person to enrol into a "Black Shirt Division," of Periyar's Dravidar Kazhgam.
"I will start wearing black shirt against the misdeeds of this government from today. I will wear it forever," he said.
Mr Karunanidhi recalled that even AIADMK legislators had at times come to the Tamil Nadu Assembly in black shirts to protest certain issues when his party was in power.
The DMK chief also asked sarcastically in the magazine if the police did not sanction the demonstration out of deference to his health and age.
The DMK protest comes at a time when the police has filed fresh cases of land grab and illegal mining against senior leaders and Mr Karunanidhi's grandson Durai Dayanidhi. Police raided Mr Dayanidhi's office yesterday in connection with the granite scam, and have reportedly recovered some documents. Mr Dayanidhi has been absconding for more than a month after a firm closely linked to him was accused of illegal mining near the temple town of Madurai in Tamil Nadu.
The DMK calls this vendetta politics. In the past, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has said these cases are based on genuine complaints.
The protest is also against long power cuts and price rise.