MDMK general secretary Vaiko stood firm on his decision to not contest the May 2016 state elections said that the DMK had hatched a plot to finish him politically, by triggering clashes between the Naicker and Thevar communities.

Vaiko revealed at a press conference that he was warned by friends of his from the DMK that the party was planning to “create caste tension in Kovilpatti between the Thevar and Naicker communities” by using his name and thereby preventing him from contesting the elections.

Declaring that he was above caste politics, which the DMK chief Karunanidhi also knew, Vaiko said that he had decided to not contest the elections to avoid caste violence.

Clarifying that his decision to not contest the elections was not a drama, Vaiko said that the seeds were sown when he condemned the killing of the Dalit youth, Shankar, in Udumalpet, Tirupur, a few weeks ago. A large section of the crowd had publicly asked who Vaiko was to condemn the attack.

On the controversy involving Karunanidhi, Vaiko said that he never named the former’s caste, when he remarked about the oldest profession, while speaking about spending money to break up the party.