logo
AIADMK's Muslim face Anwhar Raajhaa joins DMK, says his former party is ‘now in hands of the BJP'

AIADMK's Muslim face Anwhar Raajhaa joins DMK, says his former party is ‘now in hands of the BJP'

The Print6 days ago
Raajhaa was expelled from the AIADMK minutes before he joined the DMK. In a statement, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K.Palaniswami (EPS) said that Anwhar Raajhaa has been removed from the party's primary membership for acting contrary to the party's 'principles and goals'.
Chennai: Disillusioned with the party's alliance with the BJP, former MP Anwhar Raajhaa, the Muslim face of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), joined the rival Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in the presence of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K.Stalin on Monday.
At the DMK's headquarters, he said that he was deeply pained that what was once a strong party is now in the hands of the BJP. 'Whichever party joined hands with the AIADMK, it was the senior player and other parties will heed to the words of AIADMK and not the other way round. But, now the AIADMK is listening to the BJP's words and the AIADMK is in the BJP's hands,' Raajhaa told the reporters.
This is not the first time that Raajhaa has criticised the AIADMK-BJP alliance. In 2021, after the AIADMK lost the general elections, he openly criticised O.Panneerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswami joint leadership for joining hands with the BJP and losing the assembly election.
The AIADMK's former organising secretary had expressed concerns over the BJP's agenda to come to power in Tamil Nadu at the cost of the party. In 2021, at the party's district secretaries meeting, he had expressed concerns over alienating the minority voters from the AIADMK.
Now after joining the DMK, he alleged that the BJP's agenda is to destroy the AIADMK and take over the opposition place to fight the Stalin-led party.
'We have seen what happened in West Bengal, Karnataka and Maharashtra. In Tamil Nadu, their agenda is to dismantle the AIADMK and take that position in the state to fight against the ruling DMK,' Raajhaa told ThePrint.
He also accused EPS of not being able to assert his own position as the chief ministerial candidate of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
'Amit Shah has been reiterating that it would be a NDA-led coalition government in which the BJP will be part of it. No where Amit Shah has said that EPS is their chief ministerial candidate. Even Edappadi K Palaniswami himself has not been able to assert that he is the chief minister candidate of the NDA. Such is the state of the party,' Raajhaa told ThePrint.
In December 2021, then AIADMK's coordinator O.Panneerselvam and joint coordinator Edappadi K.Palaniswami had expelled Raajhaa from the party positions after he criticised the leadership for the AIADMK-BJP alliance. However, later in 2023, he was again admitted into the party, after the AIADMK severed its ties with the BJP in September 2023.
Anwhar Raajhaa's political journey began after he joined the DMK in 1960s after being part of the anti-Hindi agitations and later joined the AIADMK when former chief minister M.G. Ramachandran founded the party in 1972.
Between 1986 and 2001, Raajhaa was the chairman of Mandapam village union in Ramanathapuram district. In 2001, he contested from Ramanathapuram and won the election. He was the labour and employment minister between 2001 and 2006. Later, in 2014 Lok Sabha polls, he successfully contested from Ramanathapuram.
Stating that he tried his best to save the AIADMK, Raajhaa told ThePrint that his voice was not heard. 'That's what forced me to join DMK. I am sure Thalapathy (Stalin) would become the chief minister once again,' he added.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
Also Read: 24 deaths since 2021, no convictions: Custodial violence has left a blood trail in Tamil Nadu
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Migrant worker's son and wife beaten by Delhi police; Mamata Banerjee posts video
Migrant worker's son and wife beaten by Delhi police; Mamata Banerjee posts video

United News of India

time17 minutes ago

  • United News of India

Migrant worker's son and wife beaten by Delhi police; Mamata Banerjee posts video

Kolkata July 27 (UNI): A migrant worker's wife and young son, who had travelled from West Bengal to Delhi in search of work, were allegedly assaulted by the police. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee protested against the incident by posting a video on social media. Launching an attack against the BJP-led Central Government and the ruling party in Delhi, she wrote, "Even a child is not spared from linguistic terrorism." In the video shared by the Chief Minister, a young man is seen showing injury marks on his young son's body, saying, "Look what they have done to my son. The police beat him and injured his forehead." He is also heard alleging in the video that all their essential belongings were thrown away. The man's wife also appears in the video. Pointing to her, the man says, "She too was beaten badly." However, the video has not been independently verified by UNIthand itr also does not have . Posting the video, the chief minister wrote, 'See how even a child is not spared from the cruelty of violence in the regime of linguistic terror unleashed by BJP in the country against the Bengalis! Where are they taking our country now?' The Trinamool Congress has stepped up its protest following reports of harassment faced by migrant workers from Bengal working in other states. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has also warned of a larger movement if harassment of migrant workers is not stopped. The allegation is that Bengali-speaking workers, suspected of being Bangladeshis, are being detained in BJP-ruled states like Odisha, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh—even after showing documents like Aadhaar and voter ID cards. In such cases, only a 'Police Clearance Certificate' (PCC) seems to secure their release; otherwise, they are being detained. The harassment of Bengali migrant workers in Delhi and Odisha has already reached the Calcutta High Court. Against this backdrop, the ruling party in West Bengal, Trinamool, has launched a 'language movement' against the BJP starting Sunday. Tomorow Mamata Banerjee is set to participate in the Nanur Dibas program in Birbhum and will also take part in a march. She is supposed to leave for Birbhum by road on Sunday evening. UNI XC SSP

‘Swami Karpatri true son of soil, Sanatan Dharm'
‘Swami Karpatri true son of soil, Sanatan Dharm'

Time of India

time33 minutes ago

  • Time of India

‘Swami Karpatri true son of soil, Sanatan Dharm'

Lucknow: Paying tribute to seer and revivalist Swami Karpatri Maharaj on his birth anniversary, former Union minister Shahnawaz Hussain remembered his contribution to Sanatan Dharm and demanded a nationwide ban on cow slaughter. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The programme, organised by Yuva Chetna at the Constitution Club in Delhi, was inaugurated by Swami Abhishek Brahmachari. BJP national general secretary , Union ministers Jayant Chaudhary and Shobha Karandlaje, former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, MP Neeraj Shekhar, Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta, BJP national spokesperson Sanjay Mayukh, and Yuva Chetna national convenor Rohit Kumar Singh were present. Swami Abhishek called Swami Karpatri the "true son of Sanatan Dharm and the country", lauding his contribution to religion and society. Arun Singh praised his efforts in preserving Indian culture, while Shobha Karandlaje criticized the Congress for opposing Sanatan Dharm. Ranjan Gogoi paid floral tributes while Neeraj Shekhar, Vijender Gupta, and Mayukh praised Swami Karpatri's legacy. Rohit Kumar Singh called him a cultural ambassador and vowed to expose Congress's "anti-national" policies. The event concluded with the felicitation of Justice Gogoi.

‘Cleric' booked for derogatory remarks against Dimple Yadav
‘Cleric' booked for derogatory remarks against Dimple Yadav

Time of India

time33 minutes ago

  • Time of India

‘Cleric' booked for derogatory remarks against Dimple Yadav

Lucknow: Lucknow police late on Sunday registered an FIR against orthodox Islamic cleric Maulana Sajid Rashidi for allegedly making objectionable, inflammatory, and misogynistic comments against senior Samajwadi Party leader and Lok Sabha MP Dimple Yadav during his appearance on a television channel and public platforms. The complaint was lodged on Saturday by one Pravesh Yadav, a resident of Gomtinagar's Vikalp Khand. In his written complaint, Yadav alleged that Maulana Sajid made derogatory and indecent remarks on media forums that not only hurt the personal dignity of a woman but also appeared to be aimed at inciting religious and communal disharmony in society. DCP (East Zone) Shashank Singh said that an FIR against Maulana Sajid was registered under the sections of 79 (outraging modesty of women), 196 (promoting enmity between groups), 299 (outrage religious sentiments), 352 (intentional insult) of the BNS and section 67 of the Information Technology Act at Vibhutikhand police station. "Further investigation into the matter is underway," said the DCP (East). The radical cleric has been known for making controversial statements. Soon after Delhi assembly polls in Feb, the cleric had claimed in a video to have voted for BJP. Amit Malviya had then shared the video in a post on X, saying, "Sajid Rashidi of All India Imam Association says he voted for the BJP in the Delhi Assembly election. This is not an isolated instance, and the so called 'secular' parties should be worried if Muslims also start supporting the BJP in a big way."

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store