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Aftab, Mohammed Attack Interfaith Couple, Allegedly Rape Woman; TNM Follows Pattern Of Whitewashing Perpetrators

By
The Commune
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In a disturbing incident of moral policing, an interfaith couple faced a violent attack by a group of six men in a hotel room in Karnataka’s Haveri district. The assailants, a group of six Muslim men, forcibly entered the room where a Hindu man and a Muslim woman were staying, subjecting them to verbal abuse and physical assault, and recording the entire incident. The attack, which occurred on 7 January 2024, prompted widespread outrage after the video went viral on social media.

The footage captured the assailants knocking on the hotel room door, and assaulting and verbally abusing the couple upon entry. The woman, attempting to shield herself with a burqa, was slapped to the ground by one of the attackers. The attackers continued to verbally abuse the couple, dragging them out of the hotel room despite pleas for mercy.

Subsequent videos revealed the woman being forced outside by the attackers, who lifted her hijab and filmed her. Following the assault in the hotel, the attackers allegedly took the woman to another location, where she claimed to have been gang-raped by seven men. The woman reported being abandoned near a bus stop after the assault.

The couple filed a complaint at the Hanagal police station, leading to the arrest of three out of the six attackers identified as Aftab Maqbool Ahmed Chandankatti (24), Samaiullah Lalanavar (23), and Mohammed Isaaq Mandakki (23). Authorities are actively searching for the remaining accused.

In a recent development, a video surfaced where the woman, not initially mentioned in the complaint, asserted that she had been gang-raped during the abduction. She alleged that the assault took place in a jungle at three different locations and involved seven men. Haveri Superintendent of Police, Anshu Kumar, stated that the rape charge emerged later through media reports, and an investigation is ongoing.

Police confirmed that the accused, although not affiliated with any organization, had a previous record in a similar case. The 26-year-old Muslim woman and her Hindu partner were reportedly in a consensual relationship, and the assault occurred shortly after they checked into the hotel on 7 January 2024.

The accused men are facing charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including assault, criminal intimidation, intentional insult, rioting, unlawful assembly, house trespass, and causing hurt. 

How TNM Downplayed The Perpetrators Identity

True to their principles, The News Minute shielded the identity of the perpetrators. In their report on the above incident, the article was titled “Karnataka: Three men barge into Haveri hotel and assault interfaith couple, woman alleges rape”.

However, if the alleged perpetrators turn out to be Hindus or “upper caste” and if the victim happens to be a Dalit or Muslim, they never fail to specifically highlight it in their headlines. Here is one example – “Mob shouting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ thrashes Muslim man seen with Hindu girl in Mumbai”

Here are a few more instances where TNM has consistently depicted a particular community as victims, even when the actual victim was often someone else, frequently a Hindu.

Instance 1 – Shraddha Walkar Butchering Case 

2022 was rocked by the horrific butchering of Shraddha Walkar by her partner, Aftab Ameen Poonawalla. We all know what happened in that case. As the details unfolded, TNM, in its usual approach, refrained from disclosing the perpetrator’s name, seemingly to depersonalize the gruesome incident. Editor-in-Chief of the portal, Dhanya Rajendran, shared an Indian Express article titled “A toxic and abusive relationship that ended in death” on her Twitter handle and she wrote the following caption, “Shraddha continued their relationship as Aaftab emotionally blackmailed her and said he would die by suicide if she leaves him. The level of entitlement such men have”.

Instance 2 – Giving Communal Colour To Petty Fight

The News Minute reportedly fueled communal tensions by sensationalizing a minor altercation between college students in Dakshin Kannada. The article titled “Dakshina Kannada: Muslim man beaten up for speaking to Hindu woman classmate”  highlighted an alleged attack on Mohammed Saneef without mentioning stalking or harassment, framing it as a “love-related case.” The report indirectly associated the assailants with a Hindu rights organization, lacking direct evidence. 

Instance 3 – Justifying Crime Because Perpetrator Felt Disrespected

In March 2023, The News Minute portrayed a disturbing incident during Holi celebrations in Telangana with bias. Initially justifying Mohammad Shabbir’s act of setting Anjaiah on fire after a playful color smearing, TNM faced backlash on social media for seemingly blaming the Hindu victim. Following criticism, they modified the article without offering an apology.

The headline used by The News Minute (TNM) read: “Upset at being smeared with color, a man allegedly sets friend ablaze in Telangana.” In doing so, TNM appeared to defend the perpetrator right from the start, suggesting that the victim was at fault for smearing colour on Muhammed Shabbir during the Holi festival.

Instance 4 – Shifts Blame On Victim Again, Calls People “Hindu Mob”

In a May 2023 incident in Telangana, an altercation between a gas delivery agent, Lingam, and Imran Ahmed escalated after Imran’s family refused to return an empty cylinder. The situation turned violent, with Imran assaulting Lingam. Subsequent clashes involving Hindu groups were framed by media, including The News Minute, as a “Hindu mob” attacking Imran, downplaying Imran’s instigation.

Instance 5 – Udupi Video Scandal

The Udupi video recording horror where 3 female Muslim students video recorded their Hindu classmates in the washroom of the institution secretly. There are reports of this happening for over a year – read more here and here. The News Minute as mentioned above played the he said-she said card and reported the horrendous incident as a “prank” and whitewashed the whole issue to make the perpetrators look like victims especially because of last year’s Hijab controversy in the region. 

Instance 6 – Justifying Alleged Land Grab By Waqf Board

In September 2022, TNM published an article where it attempted to establish that the village of Thiruchendurai belonged to the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board, rather than the rightful landowners. According to the report, the Waqf Board sent a letter to the Registration Department with documents claiming ownership of the entire village and requesting a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for any land registration in the area.

As the news created controversy, the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board decided to “temporarily allow” property-related transactions in the Tiruchendurai village. The TNM article quoted the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board Chairman, Abdul Rahman, who asserted that their records show the Waqf Board owns 389.03 acres of land in Thiruchendurai.

TNM further corroborated the Waqf Board’s claims by stating, “TNM also verified the Gazette Notification number 570 to confirm that the land had been registered as Waqf property on June 27, 1956.”

Instance 7 – Denying The Existence Of Love Jihad 

At the time of the release of the film, The Kerala Story, TNM published articles attempting to counter the narrative, focusing on communal harmony stories but was accused of brushing aside the reality of “Love Jihad.” The article failed to engage in a meaningful discussion about the well-documented issue of using love for proselytizing by Jihadists. TNM’s response appeared to divert attention from Love Jihad, a serious concern in areas like Malappuram, known for historical events leading to demographic changes and reported instances of forced conversions.

You can read more on these whitewashing habits of The News Minute also referred to as The Naxal Minute or TN Murasoli here.

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Congress MP Karti Chidambaram Extends Tacit Support To Dravidianist Propaganda Film Annapoorani; Gets Schooled By Netizens

By
The Commune
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The removal of the film Annapoorani from OTT platfrom Netflix triggered a meltdown of many notable personalities from the film industry and left-leaning politics. The most recent one to join the bandwagon is Sivagangai’s Congress MP, Karti Chidambaram. In a post on his X handle, Karti Chidambaram directed his sarcasm towards ‘To all those getting agitated by dietary choices’. The image shared points to multiple places in Valmiki Ramayana that Lord Rama was a meat lover. It also points to Ayodhya Kaandam 20, 26, 94 chapters, Sargam 52, Shloka 102, Sargam 96, Shloka 1, where references to Lord Rama eating meat are mentioned. Furthermore, verses from the Kamba Ramayanam were quoted in the image to show that fish and honey were served to Lord Rama as offerings.

Netizens were quick to point out to Karti Chidambaram that Lord Rama was a Kshatriya king and there was nothing wrong with him consuming meat or liquor.

 

Unfortunately, like other trolls on social media platform X, Karti Chidambaram also failed to see that the problem with ‘Annapoorani’ was not just one scene alone but the entire theme of the film.

The portrayal of an orthodox Tamil Brahmin girl as a meat eater, glorifying love jihad, a Hindu girl offering namaz before making biriyani, Hindu girl attending Ramzan iftar for her boyfriend are some problematic scenes in the film. However, those who support the film conveniently hide these and solely focus only on the Sri Ram meat-eating scene mentioned once in the film, thereby guilt-tripping Hindus.

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“Dravidian Model Synonymous With Minority Appeasement”: Hindu Munnani Head Slams DMK And AIADMK

By
The Commune
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The State President of Hindu Munnani Kadeshwara Subramaniam has criticised Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and his allies, for their focused efforts on minority appeasement. He argues that the majority Hindu population is being overlooked.

The issue at hand revolves around the allocation of burial spaces for Christians and Muslims in district headquarters. The DMK, under M K Stalin, appears to be emphasizing its commitment to minorities, positioning itself as a government catering primarily to their needs.

A press release from Hindu Munnani states that a consultation meeting on minority welfare held at the Chennai Secretariat highlighted the state government’s commitment to addressing the concerns of religious minorities. Chief Minister Stalin separately consulted with leaders from the Christian church and Muslim communities, unveiling various welfare schemes for minorities during the event.

Notable announcements include the permanency of the certificate for minority educational institutions, relaxed procedures for NGOs in terms of registration and subsidy, and the elimination of the renewal requirement for minority educational institutions’ licenses every five years.

Criticism arises from the alleged preferential treatment towards minorities in land acquisition for Christian burial grounds and Muslim graves. The government also plans to ease rules for re-burying bodies in cemeteries and introduced guidelines for family burials.

“The Chief Minister, who claims to practice secular politics, cares little about Hindu crematoriums being neglected. Many crematoriums/burial grounds lack basic facilities….Hindus are still alive and denied their rights. Even after death their rights are taken away. Like Hindu temples, Hindu crematoriums are falling into the clutches of the government and are being looted. Modern toilets are being demolished and constructed at the Hindu crematorium site in all the corporation areas including Chennai, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Salem. Similarly, if a Hindu body is buried, it takes a lot of effort to get a death certificate even after providing various documents. Does the Chief Minister not know that the majority of Hindus are being oppressed like this?“, he said adding that many agricultural lands of Hindus have been converted into graveyards.

The announcements are seen by some as a strategic move to secure minority votes and compete with rival political parties, particularly the AIADMK. Both parties are vying for the favour of minority communities, showcasing themselves as champions of their causes.

“The DMK and AIADMK are no different when it comes to minority appeasement. They compete and portray themselves as protectors of minorities. During the AIADMK rule many cases were filed against the Islamist outfit called SDPI. But now Edappadi Palaniswami is attending SDPI’s state conference. On the second day of his attendance, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin is holding a meeting for the welfare of minorities. Edappadi Palaniswami attended the Christmas function at Karumathampatti. Keeping all this in mind, the Chief Minister urgently announces concessions to educational institutions and graveyards for the minorities so that they do not go to the AIADMK side. The Dravidian model government that spends its brains and money on minorities places of worship, graveyards, graveyards in educational institutions should also worry a little about the majority Hindu society.“, he said.

(With inputs from Hindu Munnani)

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Vinayakar Temple At Kilambakkam ‘Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus’ Demolished Overnight 

By
The Commune
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The recently inaugurated Kalaignar Centenary Bus Stand near Vandalur in Chengalpattu district has become the centre of controversy after the overnight demolition of the Sivasakthi Vinayagar Temple located within the premises. The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu inaugurated the bus stand two weeks ago and has been mired in controversy ever since. 

The reconstruction of the temple, conducted on a smaller scale by the contractor, drew criticism as concerns were raised regarding the presence of places of worship in government-owned public spaces.

Photos of the demolished Ganesha temple at Kilambakkam bus station surfaced on social media, intensifying the discussions around the issue. The land in question was initially owned by a private company, and a legal dispute ensued. The court eventually ruled that the land belonged to the Chennai Metropolitan Development Corporation, paving the way for the construction of the bus station. 

The Ganesha temple, which had stood at the Kilambakkam new bus stand for over 30 years, was situated near the outpost, now converted into a police station. Devotees from surrounding areas, including Urpakkam, Ayyanchery, and Karanaipuducherry, frequented the temple for continuous worship. The sudden removal of the Ganesha statue and the complete demolition of the temple overnight took locals by surprise, leading to a gathering at the temple site.

The situation escalated as representatives from Hindu Munnani and BJP visited the area. The police, led by Guduvancheri Assistant Commissioner Jayaraj and Guduvancheri Inspector Murugesan, were deployed for security at the Kilambakkam bus station. Anticipating potential protests from Hindu organisations, High-Security Force police were summoned following the order of Tambaram Commissioner Amalraj.

Officials from the Chennai Metropolitan Development Corporation addressed the controversy, stating that the land had been leased by VGP, leading to an ongoing court case. The court’s verdict affirmed that the land belongs to the Chennai Metropolitan Development Corporation. Previous constructions by VGP, including the World Peace Mata Temple and Mandapam, were removed for the bus stand, leaving only the Ganesha temple untouched. Continuous petitions regarding the temple led to the recent decision to remove it, putting an end to the longstanding issue.

(with inputs from Dinamalar)

Is Religion A ‘Personal Matter’? Calling Out The Hypocrisy Of INC Towards Different Religions

By
Symbianian
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On 10 January 2024, the Congress formally rejected the invitation to the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at Bhavya Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. The primary reason given by the party for the absence of their top leadership at this important event was the belief that ‘faith is a personal matter.’

Following the Congress’s official statement, a letter from the then-Congress President Sonia Gandhi to Pope Francis in August 2016, regarding the Canonization Ceremony of Mother Teresa, gained widespread attention on social media. In the letter, Sonia Gandhi asserted that every Indian citizen, encompassing nearly 20 million Catholics, felt a sense of pride and happiness in acknowledging Mother Teresa’s deep nobility of spirit, clarity of intent, and dedication to serving God through humanitarian service as recognized by the Pope and the Catholic Church.

She additionally asserted that the canonisation ceremony of Mother Teresa provided an opportunity for all Indians to express gratitude for the time she dedicated to India, serving the poorest and most needy in our nation. Sonia Gandhi emphasized Teresa’s lifelong commitment to selfless service, urging everyone to draw inspiration from her and learn how to practice compassion and loving kindness in our everyday lives. Sonia Gandhi highlighted Teresa’s role in alleviating the suffering of thousands in their final moments, emphasizing that the very ground she walked on became sacred. Margaret Alva and Louzinho Faleiro represented the Congress Party at the ceremony, as Sonia Gandhi was unable to attend due to illness.

In contrast, when examining the Congress Party’s response to the invitation to Bhagwan Ram’s temple, which is described as a “refusal,” it is crucial to note the difference in tone. Congress stated in its release that “religion is a personal matter,” while also accusing the BJP and the RSS of politicizing the Ram Mandir as a project. The party seemed to overlook that the BJP consistently included the Ram Mandir in its manifesto, aligning with their political ideology. The realization of this agenda coincided with the BJP being in power, and the Supreme Court ruling in favour of the Hindu side.

Examining the historical context of the Congress, it is notable that the party referred to Bhagwan Ram as a “myth” in an affidavit presented in court. The Congress party has a tendency to engage in temple politics just before elections, exemplified by instances where leaders like Rahul Gandhi embarked on a “Temple Run” to appeal to Hindu voters. Additionally, it is remembered that India’s first Prime Minister and Congress leader, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, opposed then-President Dr Rajendra Prasad’s attendance at the inauguration of the Somnath Temple in Gujarat.

On a different note, it’s important to acknowledge that a documentary by Sky Documentaries titled ‘Mother Teresa: For the Love of God’ has shed light on the darker aspects of her life and the NGO ‘Missionaries of Charity’ she established in Kolkata, West Bengal. This documentary, featuring insights from both close associates and critics, unveils the evangelical fervour that Mother Teresa possessed beneath the facade of love and care.

Over the years, Mother Teresa has faced accusations of being fraudulent, with critics pointing to her adoption of outdated health practices and her enthusiastic efforts to convert the vulnerable into the Christian faith. The documentary aims to document and emphasize the less favourable aspects of Mother Teresa’s ‘sainthood’ and evaluate the credibility of allegations against the controversial evangelist. To delve into the darker aspects of Mother Teresa’s life, one can watch the documentary. Additionally, Christopher Hitchens, a popular author, has also written a book critical of Mother Teresa titled ‘The missionary position: Mother Teresa in theory and practice‘ early in the year 1995.

Symbianian is a freelance writer and a political buff.

(With inputs from OpIndia)

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Dravidian Model: Chennai Ranks 199/446, Not One City From TN In Top 100 Clean Cities

By
The Commune
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In the latest edition of Swachh Survekshan, the world’s largest urban sanitation and cleanliness survey conducted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) under the Swachh Bharat Urban Mission, Indore, and Surat emerged as joint winners for the cleanest cities in India. The prestigious Swachh Survekshan Awards were presented by President Draupadi Murmu on 11 January 2024.

Swachh Survekshan, initiated in 2016, has become a significant competition among towns and cities, urging them to enhance cleanliness and waste management services. With the primary goal of fostering large-scale citizen participation and raising awareness about collaborative efforts to improve urban living conditions, the survey assesses cities on 46 indicators.

This year marked the eighth edition of the survey, where over 3,000 assessors evaluated more than 4,500 cities. Key indicators encompassed various aspects, including segregated door-to-door waste collection, hosting zero waste events, provision of disabled-friendly toilets, and effective plastic waste management.

Saswad in Maharashtra secured the Cleanest City Award for urban centers with a population of fewer than 1 lakh. Following Saswad, Patan in Chhattisgarh and Lonavla in Maharashtra claimed the second and third spots, respectively.

How Did TN Fare?

Chennai, however, received a rank of 199 out of 446 in the Swachh Survekshan awards bestowed by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. Notably, no city in Tamil Nadu secured a position within the top 100 ranks. The city scored only 12% in waste processing, with just 21% of landfills undergoing bioremediation.

In the citizen perception survey, Chennai achieved a modest 50%, and only 77% of its toilets were deemed clean. The city’s open-defecation status received just 50% points as well. Despite excelling in health and education indicators, Tamil Nadu exhibited a noteworthy gap in hygiene, cleanliness, and waste management, highlighting the need for targeted improvements in these areas.

Tiruchi City Corporation was the only city from TN that excelled in Swachh Survekshan 2023, securing the top spot in Tamil Nadu among cities with over one lakh population and a national rank of 112 out of 446 major cities. With 5,794.89 marks out of 9,500, it marked a significant improvement from the 2022 survey where it ranked 262nd. Recognized as an ODF++ achiever, Tiruchi met key parameters for open defecation-free status and enhanced public toilet maintenance. The city’s progress was acknowledged at an event in New Delhi.

How Did The So-Called Hindi Heartland Fare?

Bihar secured the 15th position among 27 states in the national Swachh Survekshan 2023 rankings. Patna was the sole Bihar city to feature in the top 100, holding the 77th spot in the national rankings for cities with a population exceeding one lakh. Surat and Indore jointly clinched the top position in the Swachh Survekshan 2023 rankings, with Indore maintaining its dominance for six consecutive years.

Mhow Cantonment Board in Madhya Pradesh earned the title of the Cleanest Cantonment Board. Coming to Uttar Pradesh, Varanasi and Prayagraj received the top honours as the Cleanest Ganga Towns.

Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh secured the first three places, respectively, in the awards for Best Performing State.

Netizen Reactions 

Netizens from Tamil Nadu, especially Chennai, were peeved by the results and felt that Chennai did not even deserve the ranking it got. Here are some reactions.

(with inputs from Hindustan Times)

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PM Modi Starts 11-Day Fasting And Special Rituals Ahead Of Ayodhya Ram Mandir Consecration

By
The Commune
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi commenced an 11-day religious observance in preparation for the upcoming grand consecration ceremony of the Ram temple on January 22.

In a heartfelt message shared on X (formerly Twitter), PM Modi expressed his deep emotions about the occasion, stating, “With only 11 days remaining until the consecration of Ramlala in Ayodhya, I consider myself fortunate to witness this auspicious event. The Lord has chosen me as a representative of all the people of India for this sacred consecration.”

“In light of this, I am embarking on a special 11-day spiritual journey, seeking blessings from all citizens. It is challenging to articulate my emotions adequately at this moment, but I have made an attempt to convey my sentiments,” he concluded.

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As Netflix Removes “Annapoorani” From Its Catalogue, Leftists And Dravidianists Suffer Meltdown In Social Media

By
The Commune
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Annapoorani, the latest Nayanthara film that stoked many controversies, was removed today from Netflix. Reactions from supporters and opposers of the film are pouring into social media, trying to politicise the issue as much as possible. The left-liberal cabal has jumped with the usual ‘Sanghi, gamut, Tambrahm (veiled term for Tamil Brahmins)’ jibes and much more. However, none of the handles mentioned that the removal is only temporary and the film will be back once the objectionable content has been removed, as Zee Studios’ statements stated.

Social Media Meltdown

Valaipechu Bismi, one of the three members who run the popular YouTube channel ‘Valaipechu’ shared a post on X that, ‘There is no surprise that Sanghi company (Zee) gave in to the threats of sanghis.’

Shanmugam Muthusamy, film scriptwriter and director of Adangathey, Diesel, posted on his X and Facebook handles, questioning the CBFC. He claimed that such a move makes a mockery of creative freedom. He also asks if government propaganda films like The Kashmir Files alone will be allowed to be released hereafter. Recounting his experience that CBFC denied him to name a character as Rangaraj in his film Adangathey, he asks if permission should be sought from all castes and religions in India before making a film. In his rant, he also questions why government organisations maintained silence when the web series The Family Man allegedly depicted Tamil women in a derogatory manner. He recommends that CBFC should be dissolved. This post was shared as his Instagram status by the film director Nilesh Krishnaa.

Adham Bava, writer, director and producer of the lesser-known film ‘Anti-Indian’ directed by popular YouTuber Blue Sattai’ Maaran, has posted a sarcastic tweet stating that ‘Sanathanam has woken up a little late. It will be uphill for Annapoorani hereafter’ indicating that a film that bombed at the box office could profit from the OTT platform.

Other influential left-leaning handles are also posting on X an interview clip featuring popular religious speaker Dushyanth Sridhar’s interview with Rangaraj Pandey of Chanakya News channel, where he says in the Ramayana Rama and Lakshmana ate meat, intending to trivialise the issue. They argue that the moviemakers said what was in Ramayana, so there is nothing wrong in it.

https://twitter.com/Muthu71196/status/1745351858519257099

The Executive Editor of a leftist media outlet, The South First, called the Netflix and Zee Studios spineless for removing the Hindumisic content.

It has to be noted that Ramesh Solanki, the founder of Hindu IT Cell, filed the complaint with Mumbai police and has mentioned a slew of offensive points from the film rather than pointing out only meat consumption. The offensive scenes include the promotion of love jihad, a Hindu Brahmin girl going to iftaar, and a Brahmin girl offering namaz before cooking biriyani, to name a few.

Everything Hurts

Films hurting religious sentiments are not new in India. The Da Vinci Code, a controversial movie based on Dan Brown’s popular novel, was banned in Tamil Nadu by the then DMK government, stating its release ‘might disturb the peace in the state.’ Apart from films, even food can hurt religious sentiments. Popular pizza chains Dominos and Pizza Hut stopped selling their pork pepperoni due to ‘issues faced with the supply of right quality materials’. However, industry experts had speculated that ‘religious sentiments concerned with various varieties of meat are likely the reasons behind food chains removing the product.’

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“I’ve Leg Pain”: EPS Who Sealed Alliance With Islamist Outfit SDPI Hints At Skipping Ram Temple Consecration

By
The Commune
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Natural For Political Parties To Seek Alliance With AIADMK, Says EPS

In a rather peculiar announcement, AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami, has declared that he might not attend the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya due to purported leg pain. However, he stated that to those who wished to participate in Ram Temple consecration can participate.

“Whoever wishes to attend the Ram Temple inauguration can visit Ayodhya, If there is an opportunity, I will participate. But I am suffering from leg pain. There is some difficulty. So I will try.“, he said.

The reasoning behind his decision has raised eyebrows, with critics calling it a seemingly weak excuse.

The former Chief Minister’s announcement comes at a time when the Ayodhya Ram Temple inauguration is a significant event drawing attention from across the country. Many political leaders and dignitaries are expected to be present at the ceremony on 22 January 2024.

Edappadi Palaniswami, recently addressed a conference on 7 January 2023, on ‘protection of secularism’ organised by the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) in Madurai. What is interesting is that EPS shared the stage with SDPI state president, Nellai Mubarak, who was in the news in July 2023 after NIA conducted raids in connection with the Ramalingam murder case. Palaniswami assured minorities that the AIADMK would not ally with the BJP in upcoming elections and highlighted the party’s commitment to their welfare. He also sealed the alliance with the Islamist party (an auxiliary outfit of the banned terror outfit Popular Front of India) in the conference.

In October 2023, the AIADMK introduced a calling attention motion over the issue of releasing Islamist terrorists convicted for the 1998 Coimbatore Bomb Blasts on humanitarian grounds considering their long sentences served, old age, and health.

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Modi’s BJP Powered By Annamalai Is Rising Fast As A Strong Alternative In Tamil Nadu

By
M Ananth Narayan
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BJP several years back was branded as a Brahmin party by the Dravidian parties in Tamilnadu. BJP’s leadership under Narendra Modi has been very receptive to the feedbacks on the ground and an important step was taken in 2020 to bring in L Murugan as the TN BJP Chief. I would say this was the turning point for TN BJP that helped them shed the false perception of a Brahmin dominated party. The event that followed a year later was nothing less than a masterstroke. K. Annamalai was appointed as the TN BJP Chief. This not only helped eradicate the false negative perception that the Dravidian parties worked so hard to create but acted as a launchpad for the party to make a giant leap into the political space of TN. Let me lay down the strategies employed by Annamalai which has now put BJP in an acceleration mode as we speak, as I see it.

Annamalai being a well-read smart IPS officer equipped with superb management and organizational skills from IIM Lucknow obviously hit the ground running. Annamalai’s first strategy was to break into the closed media ecosystem that had helped set the anti-Modi and anti-BJP narrative. He started to capture the attention of the Tamil public through his detailed logic driven interviews to the TN media which they never before heard. It sounded very fresh and different. It made everyone sit up and notice him albeit for some who were waiting for a strong alternative to the usual Dravidian politics it was a feeling of jubilation, for some in the Dravidian circles it was a feeling of anger, for the general public it was a feeling of curiosity. Annamalai as the first step successfully penetrated into the media space much to the irritation of the DMK who was by then comfortably in power with the help of Prashant Kishor albeit he hailed from a community they usually keep bashing for political gains. Annamalai became the cynosure of all the media channels as he was feeding them with great content whether they liked it or not as they had to run their business too and they needed Annamalai for all the bytes. Annamalai successfully breached the first layer of this onion as the first step and no day passes by for the channels without airing anything relating to Annamalai.

For any party to appeal to the public, it has to define its ideological political rival very clearly. Annamalai embedded into the minds of the public and his cadres that the sole enemy for BJP in Tamil Nadu was DMK. It gave lot of clarity of vision to the cadres which is important for a party while positioning its organization for exponential growth. Management lesson, remember? The public also was very clear now about BJP’s vision in TN due to Annamalai’s day in and day out repetition in his media interviews. Even today in 2024, he has successfully been the daily newsmaker in Tamil Nadu when the principal opposition party, AIADMK, found itself a bit lost.

Next strategy was setting a narrative that sticks with the people. The public at large was still indifferent even though they knew both parties were corrupt with just the degree of corruption varying. When public almost got used to it, Annamalai woke them up with the DMK files. Setting a good narrative needs not only for the narrative to be strong but the person delivering the narrative has to be equally impactful which by now a very confident Annamalai undoubtedly was, as he very clearly knew that Narendra Modi and Amit Shah were strongly behind him given his proven skills. It left everyone in the DMK rattled and also gave a hint to the AIADMK that their turn might also come albeit a little later. The narrative that was solidifying was that lot of corruption is happening in TN and BJP was the sole party that was fighting against it.

While all this was happening, Annamalai also understood that his acceptance within the party must be really strong. All the seniors and cadres within the party by now accepted the fact that Annamalai was the best choice for the party in order to succeed. A few egoistic elements within the party that were working against Annamalai were weeded out. With Narendra Modi asking Annamalai to travel with him in his car gave a strong signal to everyone young and old in the party that Annamalai is the boss in TN for BJP and everyone has to fall in line. The internal rumblings were eradicated and as we speak there is no noise at all. Annamalai’s internal stabilization strategy worked and now BJP is totally focusing on their goals.

Narrative setting has to be a continuous process. Fully aware of this, Annamalai started his padyatra across the length and breadth of TN. Enn Mann, Enn Makkal yatra was an excellent move which saw people thronging in lakhs and thousands to meet this Thalaivar who by now has become very popular in the state. All youngsters, middle aged and old, women and men equally have started attending his rallies in large numbers which very important in politics. The more the people following you the more powerful you become. The recent crowd for Narendra Modi in Trichy on January 2nd, showed clearly that Annamalai and BJP have succeeded in their mission to strengthen the Modi image in TN which was a very important goal to be achieved. With the padyatra continuing, the narrative setting continues which is the right strategy.

With the DMK files helping a bit with the narrative setting around corruption, Annamalai had to keep repeating this and kept reiterating that Modi will not tolerate corruption. The raids by the Enforcement Directorate rattled the very core of DMK establishment with two senior Ministers in office falling into the net, one currently in jail and another set to go to jail after the court judgment. This was an uppercut in boxing parlance that sent the opponent reeling to the ground from which they don’t seem to have recovered fully yet. With ED investigation of some more ministers ongoing, the narrative that BJP is the sole party fighting against the corrupt has gone deeper into the minds of the TN makkal. The effort started with the DMK files has produced very good fruits for the BJP already.

The trio of Modi, Nirmala Seetharaman and Annamalai working together to drive the BJP agenda is another super strategy. On one side Modi comes and inaugurates lot of new projects for the people of TN, on the other side Nirmala comes and in her own assertive style exposes the double standards of the DMK and on the third side Annamalai goes to several districts of TN and tells the huge crowds that gather about the greatness of Modi’s schemes, the problems with the current dispensation who is claiming credit for the work actually done by the Modi government and the list goes on. The recent body language of the DMK seems to suggest that they are trying to do damage control by pacifying Narendra Modi. This makes it clear that they are feeling nervous and cornered with this pressure from three sides. The feeling of anti-incumbency has been further drilled down into the minds of the public.

To summarise, Annamalai has succeeded in penetrating the media ecosystem, setting the right anti-corruption narrative, reenergizing the Modi brand, stabilizing and strengthening his teams although there is lot of work still to be done, instilling in the minds of people that BJP can be considered as an alternative to the Dravida politics that they are tired of and giving the public a home grown authentic face that they can trust and rally around. It’s not a surprise why Narendra Modi chose this young man as his lieutenant in TN. Even if BJP bags 10 seats in TN in 2024, I would think that Modi’s BJP powered by Annamalai has arrived and will be a part of the government in 2026.

Ananth Mahadevan is a political commentator based in Bengaluru.

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