Erose East bypoll: Seeman-led NTK to announce candidate on Jan 14

CHENNAI: Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) Chief Coordinator Seeman confirmed on Sunday that his party will contest the Erode (East) bypoll and announce its candidate on January 14.

Speaking to reporters after celebrating Pongal with party workers at the NTK headquarters in Porur here, Seeman said, "As a struggle movement, we (NTK) need to stand on the field and fight. We cannot afford to be absentee players in the democratic process. We will surely announce our candidate for Erode (East) bypoll on the Pongal day (January 14)."

Seeman endorsed AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami's decision to boycott the bypoll, stating that the electoral process in Tamil Nadu has been compromised, regardless of the ruling party.

"By-elections are not being held democratically, and this is not a recent phenomenon. It has been the case for a while now," he said.

Seeman reiterated his stance on Periyar E V Ramasamy, urging people to refrain from drawing parallels between Periyar and B R Ambedkar.

"Periyar's philosophy and legacy are unique and should not be compared with others. We are willing to engage in public debates and discussions on Periyar's ideology, but others seem hesitant to do so," he said.

In a biting critique of the ruling DMK, Seeman described the party as "Karunanidhi's Property."

He accused the ruling DMK of hiding behind Periyar's legacy while ignoring the contributions of other Tamil leaders.

"The DMK is trying to conceal the sacrifices and struggles of thousands of Tamils who fought for the state's rights, language, and social justice. They are attempting to reduce the entire Tamil movement to a single figure, Periyar," Seeman alleged.

The NTK chief also took a swipe at the Union Government for scheduling the UGC NET exam during Pongal holidays.

"This is a blatant display of disregard for Tamil culture and traditions. Would the Union Government dare to schedule a crucial exam during a prominent North Indian festival?" Seeman questioned.

Later he extended Pongal greetings to his supporters and emphasised the importance of preserving Tamil language and culture.

"We must revive our language, protect our heritage, and promote our traditions. We owe it to ourselves, our ancestors, and future generations," Seeman stressed.