Reporter’s Diary: DMK treasurer invokes Lord Muruga to attract votes
DMK, the offshoot of rationalist Periyar’s Dravidar Kazhagam, has drifted a long way from the principles it once cherished. From hiding one’s theist allegiance, the party’s leaders have now digressed so far as to publicly claiming that taking the Lord’s name would ensure party’s candidates victory in the May 19 Assembly by-election.
By : migrator
Update: 2019-05-13 00:34 GMT
Chennai
The surprise invocation of the Lord for electoral success was the handiwork of none other than the party treasurer Duraimurugan, the same leader who had ridiculed believers once. Campaigning for his Aravakurichi candidate, Duraimurugan said that all four party candidates were named after Lord Murugan. “Wherever I go, I see myself there. Our Ottapidaram candidate is Shanmugayya.
In Tiruparankundram, it is Saravanan. I come here (Aravakurichi), it is Senthil. Tomorrow I go to Sulur, where it is Palanisamy. It is lord Muruga everywhere. So, victory is yours,” said Duraimurugan, taking comfort in all of them being named after Lord Muruga.
Duraimurugan’s change in allegiance did not stop there. He had even made a spiritual reference to one of the promises made by Senthil Balaji. “I have been elected MLA from Katpadi for eight times, even I have not made such a promise. Senthil has promised 2-3 cents of land to 25,000 people. He is not even a minister. I asked him how he plans to do that and he said that he will pay form his own pocket. No one can make such a promise. It should be the virtue of your previous birth that you people (voters of Aravakurichi) have got such a candidate.”
—K Karthikeyan, Chennai
Visit news.dtnext.in to explore our interactive epaper!
Download the DT Next app for more exciting features!
Click here for iOS
Click here for Android