CHENNAI: Amid the ongoing row over the BJP’s Vetrivel Yatra, the party’s State president L Murugan on Thursday called on Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam at their residences and greeted them in advance for the Deepavali.
Though Murugan said the meetings were a courtesy call ahead of the festival, they assumed significance as it took place after charges and counter charges between the leaders of the AIADMK and the BJP over the Vel Yatra. Earlier in the day, addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters, Murugan reiterated that the Vetrivel Yatra would go on as scheduled despite whatever be the ‘hurdles’.
National level leaders of the party would be taking part in the Yatra at various places, Murugan said. He also added that the AIADMK government has been singling out the BJP and taking action against for conducting the Yatra while allowing similar events being staged by Opposition parties.
Tejasvi Surya, national president, BJP Youth Wing, party’s national general secretary D Purandeswari, Union Minister DV Sadananda Gowda, Union Minister of State for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan, and Karnataka State spokesperson Malavika Avinash would be taking part in the Vel Yatra at different places of the State. BJP national president JP Nadda has been invited for the concluding event at Tiruchendur on December 3.
“What happened on November 10 was indeed regrettable. The police have arrested even those who were walking on the roads. Our State general secretary KT Raghavan, when he was at his residence, was kept on house arrest. This is unfair. Similarly, many functionaries who were engaged in other works were also taken into custody.
We have faced Emergency period. So, we will move further despite the hurdles,” Murugan said. He said the purposes of the Yatra was also to honour the Corona warriors, to provide them N95 face masks and TTE kits, apart from taking the welfare schemes of the Central government to the people and exposing those who had insulted Kanda Shashti Kavacham and denigrated Hindu Gods.