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Business News/ Politics / Policy/  BJP leaders queer party’s pitch in TN ahead of polls
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BJP leaders queer party’s pitch in TN ahead of polls

From antagonizing common man to abusing HC, leaders are fuelling anti-BJP anger

A file photo of BJP president Amit Shah at a rally in Chennai. Photo: AFP.Premium
A file photo of BJP president Amit Shah at a rally in Chennai. Photo: AFP.

Chennai: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been making things worse for itself as it looks for an ally for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu where it has no representation in the assembly and only one member of Parliament.

BJP leaders have been embroiled in controversy frequently through actions that have antagonized the common man on the road and also by offending Madras high court.

Tamilisai Soundararajan, the BJP state president who recently got a research scholar arrested at Thoothukudi for raising slogans against her party, once again ran into trouble when an auto driver was beaten up by her party members for questioning the leader about the spike in fuel prices. The BJP leader attempted damage control by visiting the auto driver at his residence in Chennai, but news channels and social media were already abuzz with video of a BJP member manhandling the auto driver who stood behind the BJP state president as she addressed the media.

Earlier this week, the Madras high court initiated suo motu criminal contempt of court proceedings against BJP national secretary H. Raja, after he reportedly used derogatory language against the court for placing restrictions on Ganesh Chathurthi celebrations. Raja was seen in a video arguing with the police for denying permission to construct a stage at a communally sensitive area in Pudukottai district. Before the issue could die down, Raja made offensive comments against employees of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, and their families, leading to protests by the staff on Tuesday.

On Monday, as the state observed the 139th birth anniversary of Periyar E.V. Ramasamy, a lawyer claiming to be a member of the BJP lawyers’ wing was arrested after he hurled shoes at a Periyar statue in Chennai. Police slapped a case under the Goondas Act against him, on Wednesday. Earlier this year, Raja had run into trouble when he threatened on Facebook to bring down all Periyar statues in Tamil Nadu.

In January, BJP leaders made death threats against popular lyricist Vairamuthu for his article on eighth century Tamil Bakthi saint Andal. Few months later, BJP leader and actor S. Ve. Shekhar was booked for his derogatory remarks on social media about women journalists.

The anti-BJP chorus has been getting louder in Tamil Nadu for a while now. Last year, when various agitations against the centre, including the protests concerning the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), rocked the state, Mint had reported that even as the national party was making desperate attempts to gain a foothold in Tamil Nadu, the anti-BJP chorus was getting louder making it unpopular.

While the national party’s state president on Wednesday argued that the “growth of BJP in Tamil Nadu has led other parties to criticize," analysts said that BJP has been attempting to confront the people rather than oppose any political party in the state.

“As far Tamil Nadu is concerned, there seems to be no specific pre-poll strategy for BJP as they are clear that the state will not reap any results immediately (in 2019). However, by attempting to damage the social justice, secular, Dravidian and Tamil nationalistic fabric of the state and, incorporating a divisive approach, the BJP is chalking out a long term plan," said Tamil writer-translator Senthil Nathan.

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Published: 19 Sep 2018, 10:57 PM IST
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