No takers for TN BJP leader’s apology over Periyar post

CHENNAI: Senior BJP leader from Tamil Nadu H Raja on Wednesday issued an apology for his remarks on social reformer EVR Ramasamy, popularly known as Periyar, on Facebook.

He also said the comment, which sparked a controversy in the state, was posted by an administrator without his permission.

Raja had said Periyar’s statues in Tamil Nadu will meet the same fate after Communist leader Lenin’s statue was razed in Tripura, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept to power on March 3 and ended the over twodecade Left rule. The remark has since been deleted from Facebook as well as Twitter.

“Damaging statues of Ramsamy (Periyar) is not agreeable,” Raja said in his new post, expressing “heartfelt regret” if he had hurt anyone’s sentiments. “Which is why, I have removed the same,” Raja said in his post written in Tamil on Facebook.

The BJP’s central leadership also swung into action to limit the damage to the party in the key southern state that sends 39 legislators to the Lok Sabha.

“BJP does not subscribe to any kind of provoking or disrespectful statements and actions of vanbetrays dalism towards leaders like Periyar. We condemn outrightly those people who are indulging in such actions,” party general secretary P Muralidhar Rao tweeted.

However, political parties across Tamil Nadu refused to accept Raja’s apology and said action must be taken against him in accordance with the law.

State Communist Party of India leader TK Rangarajan condemned Raja for his statement and said his retraction or apology was not the issue. He said it was the thought that was dangerous and must be thwarted at all costs.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader K Balakrishnan said the BJP leadership could not distance itself from the remark. “Is the BJP not responsible for what its party persons say? The apology coming so late after furore across the state only the real intention of the party,” he added.

Congress leader Peter Alphons alleged that the BJP was preparing the ground for a civil war in the country and declared that his party was not ready to accept Raja’s apology.

“It must be noted that there has been no reaction from the BJP headquarters over a statement by its national leader that statues of Periyar were next after removal of Lenin statues in Tripura,” the Congress leader said, wondering why no action was taken by the BJP.

VCK leader Ravi Kumar said “this is not the first time that Raja tried to incite passions”.

The AIADMK-led government, however, tried to downplay the incident. State fisheries minister D Jayakumar said, “There is no issue after Raja apologised and withdrew his remarks.” The government will take action against anyone trying to indulge in vandalism, he said, adding there was no need for action against Raja.

Police have also stepped up security at BJP offices in the state after protests over Raja’s post. Four unidentified men on motorcycles threw petrol bombs at a BJP office in TN’s Coimbatore early on Wednesday, hours after a statue of Periyar was vandalised in the southern state.

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Is the BJP not responsible for what its party persons say? The apology coming so late after the furore betrays the real intention of the party. K BALAKRISHNAN, CPI(M) leader