Chennai: Already at loggerheads with the Raj Bhavan on some key issues, the ruling DMK, which had been demanding the recall of Tamil Nadu Governor R.N.Ravi, on Thursday took potshots at him and said he should stop acting like the State BJP President or demit the office if he wants to be one.
Taking strong exception to the Governor’s harsh critique of the Dravidian principles, DMK Treasurer and Parliamentary Party Leader T.R.Baalu, in a strongly-worded statement, said, “Tamil Nadu BJP already has a State President. He (the Governor) must stop acting like another BJP state president while holding the post of the Governor.
It would bode well for him if he stops expressing views against Tamils and act in accordance with the Constitution, he said.
Accusing the Governor of “making controversial statements and engaging in controversial acts daily with the sole intention of fuelling division, clashes, confusion and unrest in Tamil Nadu,” Baalu said “the Governor is making absurd and dangerous statements about Sanathana Dharma, Aryam, Dravidam, Thirukkural and colonial rule in every event he attends.”
“The Governor has made disparaging remarks about Dalits and Ambedkar. It is not difficult to comprehend his plans. His intention is to raise the politics of communal hatred and take (the state) back to the age of Varnashrama.
From speaking about Varnashrama politics at the micro level, he has started speaking like an electoral politician openly now”, Baalu charged.
Citing media reports quoting him as saying that people were deceived in the last 50 years of Dravidian rule, the LS MP said, “It is condemnable that he is expressing from Raj Bhavan the views which should be expressed from the state BJP headquarters Kamalalayam”.
“If he is interested in becoming Tamil Nadu BJP president, let him demit the post of Governor and make such comments. It amounts to mockery of the Constitution to steer the political course of the state while occupying a Constitutional post”, he said.
Terming the Governor’s views on Santhana Dharma, Aryam, Dravidam and Thirukkural as a manifestation of his RSS mindset and BJP’s political intentions, Baalu elaborated the success of TN, and said it accounted for 9.22% of the National GDP, six percent of the central overall tax revenue and TN’s contribution in total India’s exports is 8.4%, 19.4% in textiles, 32.5% in export of cars, 33 % in leather exports and the State was ranked 2nd in Education and the list goes on.
The State was ranked third in attracting investments and the Centre itself has praised the Tamil Nadu government on this, he added.
While the inflation in India has increased at present, it has come down in Tamil Nadu, which was also revealed by the union government, he pointed out.
He said the Dravidian model of growth is the overall growth of all sections of people through social development schemes.
Expressing shock at the governor being a part of the political force irritated by Stalin emerging as number one CM in the country, Baalu asked, “Why does the term Dravidam irritate him so much?” Observing that it was not Dravidam but Aryam that preached discrimination by birth, caste, religion and confined women to a remote corner, Baalu said
that Dravidam was founded to eradicate the discrimination.
“The Governor says all are Indians. Can he condemn the communal politics, Sanathana dharma and Varnashrama, which are anathema to the unity of India? His intention has manifested in his holding Varnashrama and Sanathana Dharma of vedic age high, and calling Tamil Nadu, Tamils and Tamil language as divisive.
He does not like the three (Tamil Nadu, Tamils and Tamil). It gives him bitter
feelings”, he alleged.
