DMK MP and the party’s Deputy General Secretary A. Raja who is known for his abusive and uncouth remarks has once again hit below the belt on his political opponents.
Erode East assembly constituency has become a battle turf for the DMK and AIADMK with high pitched campaigns. The DMK has roped in its senior leaders to campaign for their alliance candidate EVKS Elangovan of the Congress party.
A Raja was canvassing votes for the candidate on the evening of Sunday (19 Fenruary 2023) when he made casteist remarks targetting AIADMK and BJP leaders belonging to a particular caste.
The DMK MP’s remarks came in light of the rising opposition to the pen statue for DMK’s late patriarch Karunanidhi.
Speaking at ‘Periyar Nagar’ in Erode, the DMK MP said “They say that Edappadi Palaniswami has studied till BA. Vanathi Srinivasan has studied law. Annamalai became IPS. That pen (Karunanidhi’s pen) put you under the Backward Class category and made you study. If not for that pen, Annamalai would’ve reared goats. Edappadi Palaniswami would be doing labour. Vanathi Srinivasan would be picking coconuts in some coconut farm.”
What a casteist attack on the Gounder community by @dmk_raja @vijayshan @WalkofV @arvinth_e @itz_shivv @Kavunddar @kundrudayan @IndiaRudra @Kongugounder5 #KonguVellalars #Gounder #ErodeByElection #ErodeEastByPolls #ErodeEast pic.twitter.com/FFsTU3Mrq7
— Mithunkumar (@TheMithuntweets) February 18, 2023
AIADMK Leader and Tamil Nadu Leader of Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami, BJP National Women’s Wing President and MLA Vanathi Srinivasan and Tamil Nadu BJP President K. Annamalai belong to the Kongu Vellala Gounder community.
This recent speech of A Raja is being seen as a casteist remark against the Gounder community. It is to be noted that A. Raja who allegedly belongs to the Scheduled Caste community is believed to be a practicing Christian as images of his wife’s funeral showed the rites being done in accordance with the Christian faith.
This is not the first time that A Raja has made personal remarks against political opponents in the heat of election campaign.
During the 2021 Assembly election campaign A. Raja attacking Edappadi K. Palaniswami said “Edappadi Palaniswami was born premature, and was born out of an illegitimate relationship.” while hailing his leaded MK Stalin.
எடப்பாடியார் கள்ள உறவில் பிறந்தவராம்….பாத்து செய்யுங்க மக்களே…#திமுக_கேடு_தரும் #திருட்டு_திமுக pic.twitter.com/nFlM9cSzPt
— பித்தன் (@agricultural78) March 26, 2021
A Raja is also known for his tirade against the Hindu faith and had called Hindu women as prostitutes quoting the Manusmriti. He had also said that all Shudras are children of prostitutes and they will remain so until they remain in Hinduism.
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