DMK president M.K. Stalin on Sunday requested Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to stitch an alliance against the BJP at the national level, like the combine led by his party in Tamil Nadu, and accused the Centre of unleashing a “chemical” and “cultural” attack against the state.

Addressing a public meeting here for the April 6 Assembly polls, Stalin said India was “suffocating due to the communal, fascist” forces and Rahul had a big responsibility to protect the nation against it.

The rally here was the first in which leaders of all the constituents of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance took part, including Rahul.

Stalin said the BJP got only 37 per cent of the votes polled in the Lok Sabha elections in 2019, which meant that 63 per cent of the people opposed it, but they voted for different parties.

There was no coalition at the national level — similar to the one in Tamil Nadu — against the BJP in the last Lok Sabha polls, he said. Hence, Rahul should take the responsibility to stitch an alliance against the BJP at the national level, he added.

Addressing Rahul as brother, Stalin said the Congress MP had told him not to address him as sir.

The ruling AIADMK is facing the polls in alliance with the Pattali Makkal Katchi, the BJP, the former union minister G.K. Vaasan-led Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) and other smaller parties.

The BJP could not win even a single Lok Sabha seat from Tamil Nadu in the 2019 Parliamentary polls as secular parties, led by the DMK came together, he said.

Also, the ensuing Assembly polls would be a “washout” for the BJP in Tamil Nadu, he said.

According to the Election Commission data, seven national parties together secured 69 per cent votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls which includes the BJP’s 37.76 per cent and the Congress’ 19.7 per cent. PTI