CHENNAI: A day after ignoring the visit of BJP president Amit Shah, a sulking DMDK leader Vijayakant on Monday resurrected the option of aligning with the DMK for the forthcoming Assembly elections.
Though not in a hurry to walk out of the saffron combine, the actor-turned politico said he would reply later to the invitation of Bishop Ezra Sargunam to join hands with the Dravidian major. Responding to a question by the Evangelical Church of India founder who asked whether the fruit would ripen this time, Vijayakant said, “I understand that the Bishop was referring to an alliance with the DMK. This is not the time or place to speak about it. I will reply to the question later”.
Referring to the problems faced by the Tamil Nadu fishermen at the hands of the Sri Lankan navy, he said the Tamil fishermen living in the island were being incited against their counterparts in the State. Describing LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran as the ‘national leader of Tamils’, the actor who had named his elder son after the Tiger leader, said as long as Prabhakaran was in control, there was no problem for fishermen.
Speaking at Christmas Day celebrations arranged by the DMDK, Ezra Sargunam alleged that Christians were at the receiving end of atrocities committed by a few parties pursuing a divisive agenda. At this juncture, Vijayakant should answer if the unripe fruit would ripen this time, he said.
According to him, every time he was coming to the Christmas celebration organised by Vijaykant and making the request with the hope of getting a positive answer. “Your policies and those of the Dravidian movement are the same. You should join the place where you should be and do good things”, he said. Hailing Vijayakant as a leader beyond caste and religion, the Bishop said the leader was celebrating festivals of all religions.
Vijayakant cut cakes and distributed biriyani to over thousand people, besides distributing welfare aid to auto drivers. His wife Premalatha, youth wing leader S Sudeesh and party propaganda secretary VC Chandrakumar were present.
Meanwhile, Kongunadu Makkal Katchi leader ER Easwaran, an NDA ally, who met Amit Shah on Sunday, questioned the Christmas fete. Easwaran said the DMDK leader should celebrate Deepavali and invite Christians and Muslims for it. Hindus of Tamil Nadu would boycott those parties which ignore Hindu festivals and celebrate the festivals of other religions in a grand manner, he warned.