TN BJP to protest on July 1 demanding action against DMK MP Raja's 'uncivil' remarks
Chennai: Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran on Sunday announced statewide protests on July 1 to condemn what he called the crude and uncivil language used by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP A. Raja against Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a recent public meeting.
The BJP state president reminded reporters that A. Raja had spent time in Delhi's Tihar Jail as a prime accused in the 2G spectrum allotment case, which the Comptroller and Auditor General once estimated to have caused a presumptive loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore to the exchequer.
Although Raja was acquitted by a trial court in 2017, appeals filed by federal agencies remain pending before the Delhi High Court.
"Someone who has faced such serious charges should show greater humility, not hurl insults at constitutional authorities," the BJP leader said.
Nagendran accused the ruling DMK of "turning a blind eye" to repeated instances of intemperate speech by its senior functionaries.
"If the ruling party thinks it can speak without accountability, it is mistaken. Vitriol erodes democratic values and breeds public resentment," he warned, urging Chief Minister M. K. Stalin to rein in party colleagues.
Under the schedule announced, seven parallel demonstrations will be held - one in each of the police districts carved out of the Chennai metropolitan area.
Senior state office-bearers, district presidents and heads of the party's frontal organisations will lead the rallies, which are expected to draw "several thousand" workers, supporters and members of the public.
Petitions demanding legal proceedings against A. Raja will be submitted to local authorities at every venue.
The BJP has already lodged a formal complaint with the Chennai Police Commissioner, seeking registration of a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
Nainar Nagendran hinted at an "escalated agitation calendar" if no action follows.
"Should the DMK persist with this anarchic style, the BJP will be forced to mount sustained protests," he said.
DMK leaders were not immediately available for comment at the time of filing this report.
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