Chennai, August 28: After being elected as the President of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) today,  MK Stalin addressed party workers at DMK headquarters in Chennai on Tuesday. Stalin was elected unopposed as the DMK President today at the party’s General Council meeting. During his address, the new DMK Chief took a dig at the Central government and said that the Union government is trying to destabilise judiciary. Stalin further added saying that the political situation today has come as a grave challenge.

"Today's political situation has come as a grave challenge. Education, art, literature, religion are under attack by authoritative and communal forces. Union govt is trying to destabilise judiciary, selection of governors. All this has dealt a blow to the secular principles", Stalin said in his address. Chants hailing Stalin as “Thalapathy” (Commander) rented the Kalaignar Arangam where he was elected as the new chief today.

Stalin's appointment as the new DMK Chief heralds a new era in Tamil Nadu’s opposition party that was led by his father, the late M Karunanidhi, for nearly five decades. Stalin, 65, who is the second president of the DMK, was the only candidate to file his nomination for the party chief’s post on August 26.

Stalin's elevation comes about three weeks after the death of his father and party president M Karunanidhi on August 7 and amidst threats by his elder brother and expelled DMK leader MK Alagiri. Stalin's elder brother had threatened saying that the party will have to face “consequences” if he was not re-admitted into its fold.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 28, 2018 01:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).