TIRUCHY: The clashes that broke out in Chennai on Monday between cadre of BJP and PMK, over Tamilisai Soundararajan’s alleged remarks about PMK founder Dr S Ramadoss, is an outburst of anger that had been building up in the PMK camp ever since Kaduvetti J Guru, who died recently, was hospitalised.
Considered to be a close aide of Ramadoss, Guru was president of Vanniyar Sangam and was instrumental in keeping the flock together. With Guru not active, the BJP saw an opportunity to lure Vanniyars and allegedly been engineering defections. Arul Rathinam, a PMK functionary, said, “An outfit by the name Sathiriya Saamrajyam organised a meeting in Villupuram in 2017 in which BJP leaders participated. The outfit was launched to attract Hindu Vanniyars and also spread hatred against Vanniyars who converted to Christianity.”
Though the top leadership of the PMK did not comment on the outfit openly, several functionaries criticised it on social media. In the meantime, a few former MLAs and local leaders of PMK, who had been expelled, were seen shifting loyalty to the BJP. Though the BJP, which aligned with the PMK for 2014 Lok Sabha elections and parted ways in 2016, the facade of unity remained with the top leadership not openly speaking against each other.
Relations soured when the BJP printed names of former PMK leaders on the invitation for its Manthira Malai conference scheduled for July 7. With Guru not around, PMK cadre see the event as a ploy to draw Vanniyar community to its fold.
K Vaithi, PMK’s State deputy general secretary, said, “Guru’s death is a big loss, but the BJP cannot gain ground in PMK stronghold because Guru always wanted to see Anbumani as Chief Minister and PMK ruling the State. Our cadre will stay together and BJP’s attempts will go in vain.”
Another section of PMK cadre feels the BJP is trying to usurp their space by projecting itself as working for the welfare of backward communities.Recalling BJP leaders Pon Radhakrishnan and CP Radhakrishnan visiting Ariyalur to pay their last respects to Guru, who died in May, a functionary alleged they did so only to strike a chord with grassroots level PMK cadre.Several former functionaries of PMK have been given posts in the BJP’s OBC wing, he added.