DMK backs outspoken MP A Raja; Opposition cries foul

CHENNAI: Unfazed by the political pressure from the State BJP and even principal opposition party AIADMK, the ruling DMK has put its weight behind its MP from the Nilgiris A Raja. Raja drew flak from the right wing constituency recently after he waxed eloquent about the justification of caste-based social stratification in Hindi scripture Manusmriti.

As his speech made at Periyar Thidal went viral, state BJP president K Annamalai and AIADMK leaders, including leader of opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami, raised the banner of revolt, calling the former union minister’s remarks and DMK anti-Hindu.

Even a few otherwise outspoken minister’s of the DMK distanced themselves from the issue by evading queries pertaining to Raja’s speech. Surprisingly, the DMK and its leadership seemed not to bother about the opposition’s outrage. Just when the saffron brigade expected the DMK leadership to reprimand its MP, Raja dared his detractors to move the court against him.

“I am waiting for it. Let them move the court so that I could read it (Manusmriti) out and explain inherent caste stratification in it with evidence,” a confident Raja remarked a day ago, refusing to express regret for quoting the Manusmriti. He even went on to criticise State governor R N Ravi for recommending Sanathana Dharma after taking an oath on the Constitution of India. Sympathizers and the IT wing of the DMK continued to defend its ‘rationalist’ MP even as the BJP flooded police stations with complaints against the speech.

To the dismay of the Hindutva brigade, the Tamil Nadu police arrested a district president of the BJP in Coimbatore for intimidating the ruling party vis-a-vis the manusmriti speech. Leaders of the AIADMK like former minister RB Udayakumar demonstrated their loyalty to the BJP led NDA by echoing the concerns raised by BJP in a language that would make the saffron groups envious.

A DMK senior, unwilling to be quoted, reasoned that the party leadership saw no reason to inquire, let alone reprimand, the deputy general secretary because he has only reiterated the views espoused by the party’s mentors Periyar, Anna and Karunanidhi. “Why should the high command pull him up? He only quoted from the Manusmriti. He never expressed his views against Hinduism. How is that wrong? BJP has nothing to blame us with. Hence, they have used their favourite Hindu card. AIADMK has obediently joined the BJP in attacking us,” the leader added.