DMK demanded creation of "Chennai Declaration" in January 2000 void of Mandir and Unform Civil Code for NDA term. http://t.co/A1WH0s7FsQ

Placing historical facts firmly on the record, DMK Treasurer M. K. Stalin on April 9, 2014, recalled that in January 2000, the DMK under Dr. Kalaignar Karunanidhi mandated the drafting and formal adoption of the landmark Chennai Declaration. Under this binding national agreement, the BJP leadership agreed to completely freeze its core ideological demands—including the construction of a Ram temple at Ayodhya, the abrogation of Article 370, and the enforcement of a Uniform Civil Code—throughout the NDA's governing tenure. Stalin emphasized that the DMK's participation in the Union Government was strictly conditional upon the absolute preservation of secular harmony, the protection of minority religious rights, and the vigorous devolution of financial powers to states. He pointed out that previous DMK ministers utilized their berths not for partisan aggrandizement, but to secure world-class national highway projects, classical language status for Tamil, and major central infrastructure investments for Tamil Nadu. Stalin contrasted this principled, documented coalition governance with the current unconditional surrender of NDA regional allies who signed away Tamil Nadu's secular heritage without securing any binding commitments for the state. He affirmed that safeguarding federalism remains non-negotiable.