MADURAI: Senior BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan on Sunday criticised Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin for allegedly failing to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Chennai on Saturday, despite being present in the city, stating that it violated protocol.
Speaking to reporters at Madurai airport, she said that when she was the Governor of Telangana, the then Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao had behaved in a similar manner towards the Prime Minister. Indirectly indicating that Rao is no longer in power, she remarked that no one now expects him to welcome anyone.
"The Prime Minister is also in the state to inaugurate projects, beyond political reasons. Apart from that, it is customary in Tamil Nadu to welcome guests. Stalin neither follows the protocol nor custom," she said.
Responding to a media query on why the picture of Periyar was removed from the entrance of the public meeting venue despite having Dravidian parties as alliance partners, Tamilisai defended the move, stating that it was the choice of the organisers.
"Would DMK keep the picture of Goddess Meenakshi in Madurai or Lord Murugan in their conference as He is being worshipped by 80%? They are the ones who blamed Murugan but organised events such as the Murugan conference in His name," she said.
Countering remarks by VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan, who had said that they should ensure that the pictures of AIADMK supremos MGR and J Jayalalithaa were not removed from the public meeting venue, she stated that they give due respect to all.
She added that they have an ideology and it was decided not to display the picture of a leader (Periyar) who had a difference of opinion with their ideology.
Refuting allegations that the BJP controls its alliance partners, she said the DMK forces its allies to contest under its ‘Rising Sun’ symbol, which, according to her, amounts to controlling them.