Congressmen know how to hit back, says Manickam Tagore

Keeping alive the spat between the Congress and the ruling DMK over a share in power in Tamil Nadu, Congress MP B. Manickam Tagore said on Friday that Congressmen knew how to hit back. He also said his party would stake a claim to the Madurai North Assembly constituency in the coming election.

Talking to reporters here, Mr. Tagore, the Lok Sabha Member from  Virudhunagar, reiterated the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee’s demand that the DMK take action against its Madurai Urban district secretary G. Thalapathi for allegedly disrespecting the Congress and its workers. “I am only reiterating TNCC president K. Selvaperunthagai’s demand for action against Mr. Thalapathi.

Mr. Thalapathi said a few days ago that the Congress lacked workers even to be posted as booth agents and had a vote base of just 4,000 in each Assembly constituency.

The Congress MP said he had put forth his demand — for the Congress to contest in Madurai North — to AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge. “After the session of Parliament gets over, we will convene a meeting of the Congress booth agents in Madurai North and showcase our strength. Congress workers know not only how to hail Vande Matram  but also how to hit back,” he said.

Mr. Tagore also appreciated the youth Congress workers, who he said were “filled with self-respect”, for having pasted wall-posters seeking votes for the ‘Hand’ symbol in Madurai North.