The comments made by Tamil Nadu’s Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Board Minister, PK Sekar Babu have sparked controversy.

At the inauguration event of the Mahavir International Chennai Metro Foodbank, the minister made a political speech that the DMK would work for the Hindi-speakers (North Indians), despite them having voted for the BJP in large numbers.

The remark comes after Sekar Babu had won against BJP Youth Wing State president Vinoj P Selvam in North Chennai’s Harbour Constituency, which has a large share of communities from Gujarat, Rajasthan, who have resided in the area for many generations.

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Starting off his speech by lauding the food donation as the highest form of charity, the minister assured that DMK&nbsp;would take part in the charitable events of the community and support them, despite them not having voted for the 'Dravidian party'.&nbsp;

"I have been living in this region for almost 40 years. Today, the situation has changed a lot and many North Indian friends have seen economic progress, and this is because of Dravidian parties in Tamil Nadu. The BJP is not the cause for your well-being, increased standard of living or economic development, it is the Dravidian parties," Babu said, adding that, despite all this, the North Indian Community has always been voting for the BJP out of some fascination.&nbsp;

Interestingly,&nbsp;DMK and AIADMK have been in power in Tamil Nadu since 1967, following the defeat of the then Congress government.

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"Our DMK Member of Parliament Dayanidhi Maran asks why do we have to work for them (North Indians) when they don’t vote for us, to which I say, even they belong to this land. The MLAs and Chief Minister are common representatives, irrespective of whether some people voted for them or not. It is in that spirit that we are working for you," he added.&nbsp;

He further goes on to say that the North Indian Community vote bank did not cast their votes for DMK in Assembly and Parliamentary polls that took place in years 2014, 2016, 2019 and 2021. He claims that the DMK hardly got any votes in the region where North Indians lived in large numbers, despite the party having worked for the community.&nbsp;

In the 2021 Assembly polls, he said that in the areas where North Indians lived, DMK secured only 50 votes, whereas the BJP secured 300-350 votes. "Whenever we meet you, you say that you voted for us. But these are not ballot paper times, EVM data clearly points out which area voted for whom. You did not vote for the MLA and MP who worked for you, but how much ever you reject us, we won’t reject you. DMK is there to work for you," Babu boasted.&nbsp;

Reacting to the DMK Minister’s comments, the BJP has said that such comments are blatant threats against BJP voters. The statement also condemned the manner in which DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran raised questions (as quoted by Sekar Babu) about serving people who didn’t vote for the DMK.

"Dayanidhi Maran must clarify whether he had spoken that way, it is the height of atrocity that a Member of Parliament has said something so narrow-minded and divisive," read the statement from BJP Spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy.&nbsp;"It is highly condemnable that Ministers who take an oath by the Constitution and represent all the people chose to refer to a section of their constituency as North Indians. By pointing out the voters choice of preferring the BJP, is like questioning the voters’ democratic right and a blatant threat from those in power."

The BJP also demanded an apology from Minister Sekar Babu and requested Chief Minister MK Stalin to condemn the minister’s remarks.&nbsp;

The comments made by Tamil Nadu’s Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Board Minister, PK Sekar Babu have sparked controversy. At the inauguration event of the Mahavir International Chennai Metro Foodbank, the minister made a political speech that the DMK would work for the Hindi-speakers (North Indians), despite them having voted for the BJP in large numbers.

The comments made by Tamil Nadu’s Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Board Minister, PK Sekar Babu have sparked controversy. At the inauguration event of the Mahavir International Chennai Metro Foodbank, the minister made a political speech that the DMK would work for the Hindi-speakers (North Indians), despite them having voted for the BJP in large numbers. The remark comes after Sekar Babu had won against BJP Youth Wing State president Vinoj P Selvam in North Chennai’s Harbour Constituency, which has a large share of communities from Gujarat, Rajasthan, who have resided in the area for many generations. Also read | Tamil Nadu’s ongoing lockdown extended until May 31. New guidelines inside Starting off his speech by lauding the food donation as the highest form of charity, the minister assured that DMK would take part in the charitable events of the community and support them, despite them not having voted for the 'Dravidian party'. "I have been living in this region for almost 40 years. Today, the situation has changed a lot and many North Indian friends have seen economic progress, and this is because of Dravidian parties in Tamil Nadu. The BJP is not the cause for your well-being, increased standard of living or economic development, it is the Dravidian parties," Babu said, adding that, despite all this, the North Indian Community has always been voting for the BJP out of some fascination. Interestingly, DMK and AIADMK have been in power in Tamil Nadu since 1967, following the defeat of the then Congress government. Also read | From liquid oxygen to O2 concentrators, here’s how ISRO is aiding India’s COVID-19 battle "Our DMK Member of Parliament Dayanidhi Maran asks why do we have to work for them (North Indians) when they don’t vote for us, to which I say, even they belong to this land. The MLAs and Chief Minister are common representatives, irrespective of whether some people voted for them or not. It is in that spirit that we are working for you," he added. He further goes on to say that the North Indian Community vote bank did not cast their votes for DMK in Assembly and Parliamentary polls that took place in years 2014, 2016, 2019 and 2021. He claims that the DMK hardly got any votes in the region where North Indians lived in large numbers, despite the party having worked for the community. In the 2021 Assembly polls, he said that in the areas where North Indians lived, DMK secured only 50 votes, whereas the BJP secured 300-350 votes. "Whenever we meet you, you say that you voted for us. But these are not ballot paper times, EVM data clearly points out which area voted for whom. You did not vote for the MLA and MP who worked for you, but how much ever you reject us, we won’t reject you. DMK is there to work for you," Babu boasted. Reacting to the DMK Minister’s comments, the BJP has said that such comments are blatant threats against BJP voters. The statement also condemned the manner in which DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran raised questions (as quoted by Sekar Babu) about serving people who didn’t vote for the DMK. "Dayanidhi Maran must clarify whether he had spoken that way, it is the height of atrocity that a Member of Parliament has said something so narrow-minded and divisive," read the statement from BJP Spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy. "It is highly condemnable that Ministers who take an oath by the Constitution and represent all the people chose to refer to a section of their constituency as North Indians. By pointing out the voters choice of preferring the BJP, is like questioning the voters’ democratic right and a blatant threat from those in power." The BJP also demanded an apology from Minister Sekar Babu and requested Chief Minister MK Stalin to condemn the minister’s remarks.

DMK minister’s comments on not getting Hindi-speakers’ votes courts trouble; BJP objects

Selvam, a sitting DMK MLA from the prestigious Thousand Lights constituency in Chennai met BJP leaders in Delhi, on a day when even the BJP Tamil Nadu unit said that he would be joining the party. However, after meeting BJP leaders in Delhi, he told reporters that he was not joining the BJP and had met them only to make certain demands related to his constituency. “I visited Railways Minister Piyush Goyal to request him to install two lifts at the Nungambakkam station in my constituency and also asked BJP President JP Nadda to develop temple town Rameswaram on par with Ayodhya,” he said.&nbsp;

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The MLA also demanded that his party leader MK Stalin hold internal party elections and snap ties with the Congress and the Gandhi family. His other demand was about wanting MK Stalin to condemn Karuppar Koottam, a Youtube channel that had made a derogatory video related to a holy hymn on Lord Muruga. On being asked about reaching Delhi and meeting BJP leaders without informing the party high command, he asserted his readiness to face disciplinary action from the party.&nbsp;

Clear links of his possible shift to the BJP, coming just ahead of an election year, isn’t good news for Tamil Nadu’s opposition party DMK, which has been out of power for two terms. While it is common for leaders to jump ship and join other Dravidian parties, it comes as a surprise that the DMK leader has chosen to join the BJP, which has an insignificant political representation in the Tamil Nadu, where the Dravidian majors have ruled for over five decades.&nbsp;

Selvam is the second leader from the DMK to join the BJP in recent times, the first being VP Duraiswamy. In both cases, it appears that the leaders have chosen to switch over given how they were sidelined and not offered desires posts. In the case of Duraiswamy, it is said that not being given a Rajya Sabha seat was what led to his exit. Similarly, Selvam too is said to have been eyeing a district secretary post, which eventually he ended up not getting.&nbsp;

Persons close to the DMK claim that this is not going to affect the party’s prospects in the coming polls.&nbsp;Especially as the leaders who have left are disgruntled leaders and not big names. In the case of Selvam, the excuse is that he wasn’t a DMK man in the strict sense, as he had been in the AIADMK earlier. &nbsp;

However, there is also the widespread talk of old-timers being unhappy about newbies and those close to DMK President MK Stalin’s son being given plum party posts, despite their inexperience. Recently there have been various reports of DMK youth wing leader and MK Stalin’s son Udhayanidhi wielding influence in appointing those in his close circle for plum posts. This is said to have caused heartburn among a few old-timers.&nbsp;

“Basically the BJP is on a campaign to woo leaders from the DMK and they are also in talks with two-three others, including a former Minister. While Udhayanidhi and his actions cannot be seen as a sole influence for the exits, it is one among the reasons. Unlike the 2019 Lok Sabha polls(which DMK and allies swept), next year’s assembly polls won’t be a one horse race for the DMK. There is uncertainty” Senior Journalist and Political analyst Dr Sumanth C Raman told WION.&nbsp;

A thousand Lights as a constituency also holds significance as it is bang in the heart of Chennai city and was a constituency that MK Stalin had also fought elections from.&nbsp;

When asked about the possibility of more leaders from DMK joining the DMK, BJP Spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy said that the BJP welcomes anybody who accepts their ideology. “In this case, Selvam wanted to come on-board and has joined, but we welcome anyone who wants to join by accepting the policies of the party and the work we are doing for the country,” he told WION.&nbsp;

“The MLA did not speak anything against his party and he has also said he’s not joining the BJP. So he cannot be disqualified on grounds of defecting and lose his MLA post. But if the DMK chooses to expel him, he will remain an MLA and can switch parties” Dr Sumanth added.&nbsp;

Selvam, a sitting DMK MLA from the prestigious Thousand Lights constituency in Chennai met BJP leaders in Delhi, on a day when even the BJP Tamil Nadu unit said that he would be joining the party.

Selvam, a sitting DMK MLA from the prestigious Thousand Lights constituency in Chennai met BJP leaders in Delhi, on a day when even the BJP Tamil Nadu unit said that he would be joining the party. However, after meeting BJP leaders in Delhi, he told reporters that he was not joining the BJP and had met them only to make certain demands related to his constituency. “I visited Railways Minister Piyush Goyal to request him to install two lifts at the Nungambakkam station in my constituency and also asked BJP President JP Nadda to develop temple town Rameswaram on par with Ayodhya,” he said. Also read: India-China standoff: How India is giving China a taste of its own medicine The MLA also demanded that his party leader MK Stalin hold internal party elections and snap ties with the Congress and the Gandhi family. His other demand was about wanting MK Stalin to condemn Karuppar Koottam, a Youtube channel that had made a derogatory video related to a holy hymn on Lord Muruga. On being asked about reaching Delhi and meeting BJP leaders without informing the party high command, he asserted his readiness to face disciplinary action from the party. Clear links of his possible shift to the BJP, coming just ahead of an election year, isn’t good news for Tamil Nadu’s opposition party DMK, which has been out of power for two terms. While it is common for leaders to jump ship and join other Dravidian parties, it comes as a surprise that the DMK leader has chosen to join the BJP, which has an insignificant political representation in the Tamil Nadu, where the Dravidian majors have ruled for over five decades. Selvam is the second leader from the DMK to join the BJP in recent times, the first being VP Duraiswamy. In both cases, it appears that the leaders have chosen to switch over given how they were sidelined and not offered desires posts. In the case of Duraiswamy, it is said that not being given a Rajya Sabha seat was what led to his exit. Similarly, Selvam too is said to have been eyeing a district secretary post, which eventually he ended up not getting. Persons close to the DMK claim that this is not going to affect the party’s prospects in the coming polls. Especially as the leaders who have left are disgruntled leaders and not big names. In the case of Selvam, the excuse is that he wasn’t a DMK man in the strict sense, as he had been in the AIADMK earlier. However, there is also the widespread talk of old-timers being unhappy about newbies and those close to DMK President MK Stalin’s son being given plum party posts, despite their inexperience. Recently there have been various reports of DMK youth wing leader and MK Stalin’s son Udhayanidhi wielding influence in appointing those in his close circle for plum posts. This is said to have caused heartburn among a few old-timers. “Basically the BJP is on a campaign to woo leaders from the DMK and they are also in talks with two-three others, including a former Minister. While Udhayanidhi and his actions cannot be seen as a sole influence for the exits, it is one among the reasons. Unlike the 2019 Lok Sabha polls(which DMK and allies swept), next year’s assembly polls won’t be a one horse race for the DMK. There is uncertainty” Senior Journalist and Political analyst Dr Sumanth C Raman told WION. A thousand Lights as a constituency also holds significance as it is bang in the heart of Chennai city and was a constituency that MK Stalin had also fought elections from. When asked about the possibility of more leaders from DMK joining the DMK, BJP Spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy said that the BJP welcomes anybody who accepts their ideology. “In this case, Selvam wanted to come on-board and has joined, but we welcome anyone who wants to join by accepting the policies of the party and the work we are doing for the country,” he told WION. “The MLA did not speak anything against his party and he has also said he’s not joining the BJP. So he cannot be disqualified on grounds of defecting and lose his MLA post. But if the DMK chooses to expel him, he will remain an MLA and can switch parties” Dr Sumanth added.

Disgruntled with DMK, sitting MLA meets BJP leaders in Delhi; but denies joining party

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DMK minister’s comments on not getting Hindi-speakers’ votes courts trouble; BJP objects

Disgruntled with DMK, sitting MLA meets BJP leaders in Delhi; but denies joining party