CHENNAI: BJP leader H Raja’s open threat to Vaiko that his party’s workers know how to stop the MDMK chief from criticising Narendra Modi and that Vaiko would not be able to move around freely if he continued to speak against the PM drew strong condemnations from various political parties and outfits on Sunday. While Vaiko asserted that he stood by his remarks, BJP State president Tamilisai Soundararajan disowned Raja’s statement.
TNCC president E V K S Elangovan lashed out at Raja stating that the threats were uncivilized. CPM State secretary G Ramakrishnan in a statement here said threatening Vaiko instead of replying to his charges politically exposed Raja’s incapability as well as his uncivilised manner. Criticism was part of democracy and such threats showed intolerance and autocratic behaviour, he said.
Dravidar Kazhagam leader K Veeramani said Raja’s remarks were a challenge to the law and order in the State. SDPI leader K K S M Tehelan Bhakavi said it was a threat to all the Tamils and not an individual. Demanding an apology from Raja, he asked the people to boycott parties like the BJP. Tamil Nationalist Movement leader P Maniarasan demanded the arrest of Raja for issuing threat to Vaiko.
For his part, Vaiko thanked the leaders for their support and reiterated his condemnation of Modi for wishing success to SL President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the upcoming presidential polls. “A leader of one country should not wish one candidate against another. No other prime minister had done so,” he said. He also asked his party cadre not to burn effigies of Raja and warned of disciplinary action if any protest was held by MDMK workers on the issue.
However, Tamilisai Soundararajan disowned the remarks by Raja and said they were not the views of the party. She also maintained that Vaiko was part of the BJP front. She also appealed to Vaiko not to criticise Modi. BJP Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan too made a similar plea and asserted that the MDMK leader remained part of the NDA.