DMK stir part of Stalin’s larger strategy
CHENNAI: From his unbuttoned shirt and a fiery demeanour at a massive protest rally at the Marina beach, just after being evicted from the assembly on Saturday, it was clear DMK leader MK Stalin wants to take the issue to the people.
Experts say it is part of a calculated strategy to raise questions on the legitimacy of the government that won a trust vote in the absence of most of the Opposition.
E K Palaniswami, a loyalist of AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala, won the trust vote 122-11, after DMK legislators were evicted from the assembly and Congress staging a walkout in protest amid stormy scenes.
The DMK held protest in several parts of the state questioning the legitimacy of the government.
The DMK is the principal opposition party with 89 seats and support of eight Congress and one IUML legislators.
“There is nothing wrong in asking for a secret vote even through conventions and rules of the House may not provide for it, given the extraordinary circumstances that led to the formation of the government amid allegation of MLAs being forcefully confined in a resort,” a political analyst said.
But Stalin lodged the protest with the governor and took the issue to the people in a calculated move to occupy the mind space of the masses, who perceive O Panneerselvam as a hero after he revolted against Sasikala, he said.
Stalin hit out at Sasikala and her family and stated that “there is no government in Tamil Nadu for the past several months.”
Local body polls will be held in the state soon and Stalin through the tough posturing is trying to set an agenda for the elections.
“Trust vote is not everything. There will be enough opportunities for Stalin to corner the government even in the assembly. Budget session is coming up which will be an important test for the government ,” said Professor Ramu Manivannan of the Madras University.
“Perhaps the DMK knew Palaniswami will win the trust vote anyway. So it was better to reinforce the doubt over its legitimacy people’s eyes,” he added. NEWDELHI: The Congress was left embarrassed on Saturday after its newly-inducted leader from Jammu and Kashmir, Tariq Hameed Karra, said the army chief’s recent remarks against stone-pelters were “politically motivated”.
“As far as the army chief’s statement is concerned, I think it is a politically-motivated statement. It is unfortunate that army, which has been deputed to save the sovereignty of the country, is being politicised,” Karra said after joining the Congress and added that “PM Narendra Modi is hell bent on destroying the institution of the army.”
Seated next to Karra, Congress general secretary in-charge of J&K, Ambika Soni, appeared in visible discomfort after his remarks.
General Bipin Rawat had issued a stern warning to stonepelters in Kashmir , saying that they will be treated as anti-nationals if they interfere during anti-militancy operations.
Earlier, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi escorted Karra, a founder-member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a former Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar, to the Congress headquarters.
“I welcome Karraji to the Congress. I am happy that someone of his stature is joining the Congress,” Gandhi said .
Karra, 61, had resigned from the PDP and the Lok Sabha in September 2016 ‘to protest’ against the alleged excesses committed by security forces during the turmoil that gripped the Valley following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani.
“When we floated PDP in 1999, our basic declaration was against fascist forces and how we should take the state out of slumber. But after the 2014 assembly elections, the PDP, which had sought votes against Modi’s polarisation politics, joined hands with him,” he said. Karra said PDP leadership’s decision to align with the BJP had forced him to distance himself from the party.