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DMK breaks silence on Rajini’s Murasoli jibe
Days after actor Rajinikanth drew a parallel between its party organ Murasoli and Thuglak magazine, the principal Opposition party DMK broke its silence and said that people who are in possession of Murasoli are Tamils belonging to the Dravidian movement.
By
migrator
migrator
Chennai
A long editorial written in Saturday’s edition of Murasoli said that people who carry Murasoli belong to Scheduled and most backward castes and refuse to be oppressed any more. “People who hold Murasoli are the ones who oppose imposition of Hindi,” it read, listing out the linguistic martyrs like Thalamuthu, Natarajan and Keelapazhuvur Chinnasamy, who sacrificed their lives for defending Tamil and fighting for social justice.
In its parting short, the DMK party organ described people carrying Murasoli as ‘humans’ who march on the path laid out by Periyar, Anna and Karunanidhi to create a new world.
Joining the issue with its ally, the state Congress also ridiculed the actor for jabbing at the DMK party organ. Reacting to Rajini’s ‘intelligent’ comparison between Murasoli and Thuglak magazine, Alagiri said after meeting Stalin that “Rajini is a good person. I don’t want to comment on him. He should have either said people who hold Murasoli are DMK men or those who hold Thuglak are intelligent. He should not have compared.”
Quickly adding that the actor might have stated it by mistake, a sarcastic Alagiri said, “He does not hold such views. In cinema, they give him dialogues. He has spoken on his own this time. Hence, the confusion.”
Ironically, a tight-lipped Alagiri said that he and Stalin had discussed Rajini’s latest flick Darbar during Saturday’s meeting, evading mediapersons who prodded him to reveal the details of the meeting. Quoting Stalin as saying that Darbar movie was good, Alagiri said the DMK chief asked him if he had watched the movie.
Rajini’s statement had whipped up a Twitter storm, especially among the DMK cadre, who lambasted the actor for ‘belittling’ their party organ. The actor’s speech at Thuglak anniversary also prompted sharp reaction from proDMK personalities, who questioned the veracity of Rajini’s claim that banned copies of Thuglak sold for Rs 50 in 1971 in black market.
Alagiri questions Kamal Haasan
Intent on saving his party’s alliance with the angry ally DMK, TNCC president KS Alagiri on Saturday hit out at their ‘friend’ Kamal Haasan for predicting DMK-Congress divorce. When reporters at Anna Arivalayam drew his attention to Kamal’s political forecast, Alagiri said, “On one hand, Kamal says he is a supporter of a secular formation. On the other hand, he seeks the backing of Rajini despite knowing that Rajini is supportive of the BJP. I want him to clarify if he is seeking the BJP’s support.” Alagiri’s statement questioning Kamal’s commitment to secular credentials has raised eyebrows even among a few Congressmen who were relishing the camaraderie between the actor-politician and their leader Rahul Gandhi.
Refrain from blame-game: Leaders to cadre
DMK president and Opposition leader MK Stalin and Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president KS Alagiri on Saturday urged their party cadre to refrain from blame-game, which would only help the ruling alliance.
In a statement issued here, Stalin said, “I don’t wish even a wee bit to see both sides debating issues publicly on the basis of certain incidents, which will provide fodder to a section of the media and some people who want to see a fracture in the DMK-Congress ties.”
However, the DMK chief was intent on pointing out that the provocation for the undesirable exchange between the two parties was the statement of Alagiri on indirect election seat-sharing, which must have been discussed resolved, privately.
“There is no problem or rift in the alliance. We expressed a feeling. Each party has a stand. We stated ours. It does not affect the alliance,” Alagiri added. Parrying a query on DMK treasurer Duraimurugan’s statement that the Congress does not have votes and Congress MP Manick Tagore accusing a few DMK men of not showing interest in their leader becoming the Chief Minister, the TNCC chief said, “When there is a problem, several comments emanate from different quarters. It is not necessary. They have turned silent.”
On the longevity of the alliance, especially for 2021 Assembly polls, Alagiri added, “It will continue beyond that,” before reiterating that theirs was an “ideological and self-respect” alliance comprising Dravidian movement, nationalist and left parties.
The TNCC chief also skirted questions pertaining to pressure from the AICC and said that his party leadership has given him full freedom and it did not issue him any diktat or order.
DMK, Cong make peace, save alliance from near collapse
Warring allies DMK and Congress made peace on Saturday and salvaged the alliance from the brink of near collapse after a meeting of both party leaders. Leaders of DMK and Congress issued separate statements, advising their cadre to refrain from discussing alliance issues in public, putting to bed the mutual mudslinging and speculation about the alliance falling apart.
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president KS Alagiri, accompanied by his legislature party leader KR Ramasamy with whom he had issued the “alliance dharma” statement which triggered the face-off with the Dravidian major, on Saturday visited DMK chief MK Stalin at the latter’s headquarters Anna Arivalayam and told the media that there were no differences or friction in the alliance, which would continue beyond the 2021 Assembly election. Concurring with his ally, Stalin advised both party cadre to not provide fodder to rivals by discussing alliance issues, publicly.
The stage for rapprochement was actually set by Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, who visited Stalin earlier in the day and briefed reporters at Anna Arivalayam that there was no acrimony between the two parties and Congress cadre would strive to make Stalin Chief Minister in 2021. Hours later, Alagiri met Stalin and reiterated, “There are no differences in the alliance. If there is a problem, leaders of DMK and TN Congress will discuss and resolve it. We have decided that there is no need for others (party members) to comment on it.”
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