Reiterating the DMK’s commitment to fight for state autonomy, party president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has announced that the Dravidian major will take necessary initiatives for a Constitutional amendment to empower state governments with all powers.

”The DMK is the only party in India which has been consistently raising its voice for state autonomy and the legitimate rights of states.

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”To get state governments empowered with all powers, the DMK will take necessary legal steps and initiatives for a Constitutional amendment. We will certainly do this,” Stalin said, addressing the party’s 75th foundation day celebration late on Wednesday evening.

”This announcement to secure state autonomy is the message on the platinum jubilee of the party,” he added.

”Though the Dravidian Model Government has been implementing various welfare programmes taking the state on the path of development, we have not achieved all our dreams. We do not have a Union Government which respects and concedes states’ rights. State autonomy is among the cardinal principles of our party and pioneered by party founder Anna (CN Annadurai) and Kalaignar (late patriarch M Karunanidhi),” he said.

To drive home the need for state autonomy, he recalled Karunanidhi as saying ”We may be ruling from the fort (Fort St George, the Secretariat), but we don’t have the power even to cut a grass.”

Having a dig at Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the Chief Minister said, “A situation has developed today wherein we can’t even ask why so much tax is put on cream buns.”

It was a reference to the recent incident at Coimbatore when a popular hotelier raised the issue of rationalising GST before Sitharaman. But, his tendering apology to the Union Minister in person, had stoked a political storm.

Taking pride in the DMK celebrating its platinum jubilee, Stalin said “It is no mean achievement for a movement to stand tall with majesty even after 75 years. It is because of the party organisation. When the DMK lost power in 1977, some media had written an obituary for the party. But Kalaignar’s response was ‘Even if Karunanidhi dies the party will not only survive but will be alive and kicking. So strong is the party’s organisational structure.”

The party celebrates the party’s foundation day along with the birth anniversary of Dravidian icons Anna and ‘Periyar’ EV Ramasamy, the rationalist social reformer. It is an important event in the party’s annual calendar and awards in the names of Periyar, Anna, Kalaignar, rationalist poet Bharathidasan and the late party veteran K Anbazhagan are given.

From this year one more award has been added to the list in the name of Stalin.

Taking a leap in adopting technology, the event had Karunanidhi resurrected, courtesy AI. Seated next to his son, Stalin, the late patriarch addressed the gathering as “Udanpirappukale” (siblings), leaving the party rank and file excited.

Annadurai, who launched the party in 1949, took the DMK to power in 1967, defeating the Congress. Since then, no national party could dethrone the Dravidian parties from power.

Under Karunanidhi the party was in power for four times. “The party was in power at its silver jubilee, in the golden jubilee and in the platinum jubilee. The DMK will be in power in its centenary year as well and the need for the DMK is for another century,” he said. Then turning to the 2026 assembly election, Stalin appealed to them in the party rank and file to take a pledge to strive hard for a resounding victory.