DMK leader downplays actor Vijay's political entry, says ‘he is not MGR'
Raja also lashed out at the AIADMK and its leader Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) for allying with the BJP, calling it an open invitation for the party to step into Tamil Nadu and weaken the state's Dravidian foundation. He said Chief Minister MK Stalin's call was not just to vote for the DMK alliance, but to form a unified opposition to the BJP's ideology, which he described as 'alien to Tamil Nadu for 2,000 years'.Responding to the AIADMK's continuous criticism of DMK during its campaign, Raja asserted that while Tamil Nadu may be politically divided, the core question of the election remains whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ideology should be permitted a foothold in the state. 'We are not opposing Modi or Amit Shah as individuals, but their ideology which has been alien to us for 2000 years,' he said. Raja added that the BJP's ideology 'will not be accepted' in Tamil Nadu and accused EPS of inviting Modi to the state under the guise of Dravidianism.Describing Chief Minister MK Stalin's call to voters, Raja said it was not a plea to support the DMK alone, but an appeal for a united front to oppose the BJP, which had been brought into the state's political arena by EPS. 'So the call made by Chief Minister MK Stalin is not for DMK or for our alliance, but to form a singular, unified alliance to oppose the BJP which has been invited by Edappadi,' he said.advertisementReacting to EPS's recent invitation for parties in the DMK-led alliance to join AIADMK, Raja remarked, 'When you spread the red carpet for BJP itself, that carpet has been blocked for us.'On the DMK's prospects in the 2026 Assembly elections, Raja sounded confident, asserting that the party will return to power with more seats than in 2021. 'People are having faith in the DMK and more faith in Chief Minister MK Stalin as a leader. They believe that Tamil language, culture and identity will be protected only by our leader Stalin,' he said. Raja also dismissed the possibility of the AIADMK-BJP alliance succeeding. 'That chemistry will not work. In politics the rules of mathematical numbers do not apply. One plus one need not be two. It can become four or even minus one,' he said.- Ends
IN THIS STORY#Tamil Nadu
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
10 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Congress, 'China guru' Rahul Gandhi hate Indian armed forces: BJP
After the Supreme Court rapped Rahul Gandhi over his alleged derogatory remarks about the Army, the BJP on Monday claimed that the "China guru" and his party hate Indian armed forces and that he is being remote controlled by foreign forces. The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the proceedings against Gandhi before a Lucknow court over his remarks about the Army during his December 2022 Bharat Jodo Yatra. The court, however, censured the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, saying if he is a true Indian, he would not say such a thing. Reacting to the development, BJP IT department head Amit Malviya said in a post on X, "The Supreme Court has once again reprimanded 'China Guru' Rahul Gandhi for making irresponsible statements concerning India's national security and territorial integrity." "Imagine, a leader of the opposition being repeatedly rebuked for speaking such recklessly," he said. Malviya also took on the Congress leader over his recent "dead" economy remark, calling it "a diplomatic disaster on multiple fronts". "His recent 'dead economy' jibe is just the latest in a long series. In doing so, he implicitly admitted that Russia, a long-standing ally, is struggling, while bizarrely endorsing a hostile state like Pakistan as having a robust economy," he said. Echoing US President Donald Trump's criticism of the Indian economy, Gandhi said on August 1 that everybody except Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman know that the country's economy is "dead". Referring to Gandhi's remarks on the surgical strike and Operation Sindoor, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla alleged that the Congress leader and his party "hate" Indian armed forces. "Sena ka Apman Congress ki pehchan (Insulting the Congress is the hallmark of the Congress)," he said in a post on X. "Rahul and Congress hate Indian Armed Forces," he charged, adding, "Today SC has slammed him." Another BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said on X that the Supreme Court's poser to Gandhi about his claim exposed him. He said, "Supreme Court asks Rahul Gandhi - 'How did you know that China had occupied land?'" This question by the Supreme Court has not only "exposed" Gandhi, but further got the attention back on the "secret MoU that Gandhi-Vadra family had with China", he said.
News18
20 minutes ago
- News18
Year after bloody uprising, Bangladesh far from political stability
Last Updated: Dhaka, Aug 4 (AP) Abdur Rahman Tarif was talking to his sister Meherunnesa over the phone when the voice on the other end of the call suddenly fell silent. In that moment, Tarif knew something bad had happened. He rushed home, dodging the exchange of fire between security forces and protesters on the streets of Dhaka. When he finally arrived, he discovered his parents tending to his bleeding sister. A stray bullet had hit Meherunnesa's chest while she was standing beside the window of her room, Tarif said. She was taken to a hospital where doctors declared her dead. Meherunnesa, 23, was killed on Aug 5 last year, the same day Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to flee the country in a massive student-led uprising, which ended her 15-year rule. For much of Bangladesh, Hasina's ouster was a moment of joy. Three days later, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus took over the country as head of an interim government, promising to restore order and hold a new election after necessary reforms. A year on, Bangladesh is still reeling from that violence, and Hasina now faces trial for crimes against humanity, in absentia as she is in exile in India. But despite the bloodshed and lives lost, many say the prospect for a better Bangladesh with a liberal democracy, political tolerance and religious and communal harmony has remained a challenge. 'The hope of the thousands who braved lethal violence a year ago when they opposed Sheikh Hasina's abusive rule to build a rights-respecting democracy remains unfulfilled," said Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, a New York-based human rights group. Stalled change Bangladesh's anti-government movement exacted a heavy price. Hundreds of people, mostly students, were killed in violent protests. Angry demonstrators torched police stations and government buildings. Political opponents often clashed with each other, sometimes leading to gruesome killings. Like many Bangladeshis, Tarif and his sister took part in the uprising, hoping for a broader political change, particularly after when one of their cousins was shot and killed by security forces. 'We could not stay home and wanted Sheikh Hasina to go," 20-year-old Tarif said. 'Ultimately we wanted a country without any discrimination and injustice." Today, his hopes lie shattered. 'We wanted a change, but I am frustrated now," he said. After taking the reins, the Yunus-led administration formed 11 reform commissions, including a national consensus commission that is working with major political parties for future governments and the electoral process. Bickering political parties have failed to reach a consensus on a timetable and process for elections. Mob violence, political attacks on rival parties and groups, and hostility to women's rights and vulnerable minority groups by religious hardliners have all surged. Some of the fear and repression that marked Hasina's rule, and abuses such as widespread enforced disappearances, appear to have ended, rights groups say. However, they accuse the new government of using arbitrary detention to target perceived political opponents, especially Hasina's supporters, many of whom have been forced to go into hiding. Hasina's Awami League party, which remains banned, says more than two dozen of its supporters have died in custody over the last one year. Human Rights Watch in a statement on July 30 said the interim government 'is falling short in implementing its challenging human rights agenda." It said violations against ethnic and other minority groups in some parts of Bangladesh have continued. 'The interim government appears stuck, juggling an unreformed security sector, sometimes violent religious hardliners, and political groups that seem more focused on extracting vengeance on Hasina's supporters than protecting Bangladeshis' rights," said Ganguly. Yunus' office routinely rejects these allegations. Growing political uncertainty Bangladesh also faces political uncertainty over a return to democratically held elections. Yunus has been at loggerheads with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, or BNP, now the main contender for power. The party headed by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has demanded elections either in December or February next year. Yunus has said they could be held in April. The interim government has also cleared the way for the Islamists, who were under severe pressure during Hasina's regime, to rise, while the student leaders who spearheaded the uprising have formed a new political party. The students' party demands that the constitution be rewritten, if needed entirely, and says it won't allow the election without major reforms. Meanwhile, many hardline Islamists have either fled prison or have been released, and the Jamaat-e-Islami, the country's largest Islamist party, which has a controversial past, is now aspiring to a role in government. It often bitterly criticizes the BNP, equating it with Hasina's Awami League, and recently held a massive rally in Dhaka as a show of power. Critics fear that greater influence of the Islamist forces could fragment Bangladesh's political landscape further. 'Any rise of Islamists demonstrates a future Bangladesh where radicalization could get a shape where so-called disciplined Islamist forces could work as a catalyst against liberal and moderate forces," political analyst Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah said. Worries also remain over whether the government is ultimately capable of enacting reforms. 'People's expectation was (that) Yunus government will be focused and solely geared towards reforming the electoral process. But now it's a missed opportunity for them," Kalimullah said. A frustrated population For some, not much has changed in the last year. Meherunnesa's father, Mosharraf Hossain, said the uprising was not for a mere change in government, but symbolized deeper frustrations. 'We want a new Bangladesh … It's been 54 years since independence, yet freedom was not achieved," he said. Tarif echoed his father's remarks, adding that he was not happy with the current state of the country. 'I want to see the new Bangladesh as a place where I feel secure, where the law enforcement agencies will perform their duties properly, and no government will resort to enforced disappearances or killings like before. I want to have the right to speak freely," he said. (AP) RD RD (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: August 04, 2025, 16:15 IST News agency-feeds Year after bloody uprising, Bangladesh far from political stability Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
27 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Protest vs protest: Govt prepared for Cong, BJP agitations, says K'taka HM
Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Monday said all necessary security precautions have been taken ahead of the protests planned by the ruling Congress and BJP here on August 5. While Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will lead a rally against vote theft during the Lok Sabha polls last year at Freedom Park in the city, the opposition BJP will hold a counter-protest at Vidhana Soudha to inform the public about the misleading stand of Congress. The day will also see state-wide protests by Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) employees. Speaking to the reporters, the Home Minister said, The government has the capability to handle everything. Adequate police personnel have been deployed for security. Instructions have been issued for all necessary measures. He also said the report of the statewide survey of Scheduled Castes (SC), overseen by Justice Nagamohan Das Commission, will be submitted to the Chief Minister on Monday. After that, the government will act based on the contents of the report. We undertook this with the intention of ensuring internal reservation, and we will implement it, said the minister.
