Even as the dust is yet to settle on DMK’s ally KMDK fielding an overt casteist Suriamoorthy as MP candidate for Namakkal, DMK delivers another jolt to Tamil Nadu and deals a blow to social justice with the announcement of Selvaganapathy, who is alleged to be the real-life Rathnavelu of Maamannan fame and is reputed as yet another casteist.
The film “Maamannan,” starring Vadivelu in the lead alongside Keerthy Suresh, Fahad Fasil, Raveena, and Udhayanithi in supporting roles, premiered on June 23, 2023. Although the movie received mixed reviews, Vadivelu’s performance as the lead and Fahad Fasil’s portrayal of the villain garnered critical acclaim. DMK minister Udhayanidhi played second fiddle to actress Keerthy Suresh who overshadowed the former with her acting skills. Despite Udhayanidhi Stalin’s relatively minor part, DMK supporters promoted him more vigorously than the lead actor Vadivelu. They propagated the notion that Udhayanidhi is the chosen one for advancing social justice in Tamil Nadu. However, this narrative collapses with the announcement of Selvaganapathy, a former DMK MP originally associated with ADMK, as the DMK candidate for the Salem constituency for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2024.
It’s noteworthy that DMK and director Maari Selvaraj faced criticism for portraying the appointment of Dhanapal as the speaker of the Assembly in 2016, attributed to former CM J Jayalalitha, as an achievement of DMK in the movie. Moreover, allegations surfaced claiming that the character of Rathinavelu, depicted as the villain and casteist in the film and portrayed by Fahad Fasil, was actually based on former DMK MP Selvaganapathy. Several ADMK leaders asserted that it was Selvaganapathy who mistreated Dhanapal in real life.
உங்க கோல்மால் புர தலைவரோட நிக்கிற ஆளு மயிரு தான் அந்த ஜாதி வெறி பிடித்த மிருகம் … pic.twitter.com/l9mjmcrqj6
— Gowri Sankar D – Say No To Drugs & DMK (@GowriSankarD_) July 4, 2023
டேய் அந்த ஜாதிவெறியன் வேறயாரும் இல்ல இந்த ஆளுதான் இப்போ திமுக ல இருக்கான்
பேரு செல்வகணபதி https://t.co/HmPtPQ1mZj pic.twitter.com/iCFLNIetDj— தனுஷ் Vicky™ (@dfan_vicky) July 4, 2023
அடேய் கொத்தடிம நாயே…
எடப்பாடியார் எல்லாம் அப்போ மாவட்ட செயலாளரா இல்ல.
அன்னைக்கு ஒருங்கிணைந்த சேலம் மாவட்ட செயலாளரா இருந்தது டி.எம்.செல்வகணபதி.
செல்வகணபதி இப்ப திமுகவுல தான் டா இருக்காரு… 😆
(இயக்குநர் மாரிசெல்வராஜ்🔥) pic.twitter.com/QbVneHPtLw
— #அண்ணா_திராவிடம் (@ANNAist_) July 4, 2023
Under these circumstances, DMK, in its recent announcement of 21 candidates, has surprised the people of Tamil Nadu by nominating Selvaganapathy, who is purported to be the real-life counterpart of the casteist character Rathinavelu, as the candidate for the Salem Parliamentary constituency. This is the very Selvaganapathy who was found guilty in a scandal involving a cremation shed and subsequently lost his position as a Rajya Sabha MP. Subsequently, his conviction was temporarily halted by the Madras High Court, presided over by Justice Jeyachandran.
It’s noteworthy that another DMK candidate, Suriamoorthi, who is currently contesting under the party’s symbol, has become the subject of discussion on social media. This comes after an old video of him, wherein he is seen verbally abusing and threatening violence against Dalits, went viral.
DMK’s endeavor to nominate individuals with a history of casteist remarks and oppression against Dalits has faced severe criticism from the public and social media. Despite this, Mari Selvaraj, the director of “Maanannan,” who extensively addressed social justice issues in his film, has not yet condemned DMK’s decision to field such individuals and the real-life antagonist from “Maamannan.”
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