The Coimbatore constituency is experiencing heightened tension as candidates vigorously vie for attention in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Against this backdrop, a confrontational clash erupted between the BJP and the head separatist May 17 Movement ‘Thirumurugan’ Gandhi, who was advocating for an independent candidate in Coimbatore.
In a sudden turn of events in Coimbatore, the May 17 Movement, led by Thirumurugan Gandhi, emerged to campaign for Dinesh, an independent candidate vying for the Coimbatore Lok Sabha seat. What adds to the surprise is Thirumurugan Gandhi’s recent backing of Thirumavalavan, the chief of the VCK party within the DMK alliance, with a speech delivered on 7 April 2024. However, on 9 April 2024, Gandhi was seen rallying support for independent candidate Dinesh in the Ondiputhur area. This sudden shift has led to speculation about whether the candidates contesting in and around Coimbatore in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections are proxies for candidates aligned with the ruling DMK government.
At that moment, BJP members, under the leadership of BJP state executive member Balaji Uthamaramasamy, engaged in a contentious debate with Thirumurugan Gandhi of the May 17 movement, sparking a confrontation between the two factions. Amidst the chaos, both sides vociferously chanted slogans, the BJP supporters rallied behind “Bharat Matha Ki Jai,” while the May 17 movement countered with racially charged and separatist cries of “Exit! Exit! Northerner, Exit Tamilnadu is for Tamils.” Eventually, the authorities intervened upon receiving information and managed to mediate between the conflicting groups, diffusing the situation.
The atmosphere grew tense in the vicinity when the BJP halted the campaign of the May 17 movement. While the May 17 movement claimed they were conducting their campaign with proper authorization, the BJP asserted that the movement’s pamphlets contained slogans urging people not to vote for the BJP, and insisted that such materials be confiscated. They argued that while criticism in pamphlets is acceptable, advocating against voting for a specific party violates norms. Consequently, a dispute ensued between the police and the May 17 movement, exacerbating the already tense situation in the area.
Given that the uniformed services police officer was unable to intervene in Thirumurugan Gandhi speaking, as it could potentially escalate tensions further, Thirumurugan shamelessly exploited and misrepresented the situation for his own propaganda purposes. Thirumurugan Gandhi inquired, “Is it your job to talk about the electoral alliance?” The police officer responded, “I did not spoke about electoral alliance, When did I spoke?.” Thirumurugan Gandhi persisted, asking, “How can you ask that are you in the alliance then?” Despite repeated questioning, the officer consistently denied any association with Thirumurugan Gandhi’s claims, reiterating, “I did not inquire about your electoral alliance.” Even at that moment, Thirumurugan Gandhi suggested that the police officer had instructed him to take off the t-shirts bearing the logo of the May 17 Movement, but the officer refuted this claim. Thirumurugan Gandhi took advantage of the officer’s inability to speak up against him due to professional constraints, leveraging the situation to his benefit he spoke, “Who do you work for? Who pays you? Does Annamalay pays you? I am asking you whether Annamalai is paying your salary? Or are you getting salary from BJP? Tell me Mr. Kularasan, From whom you get salary and work?”
கோவையில் தேர்தல் நேரத்தில் பதட்டமான சூழலை உருவாக்க களமிறக்கப்பட்டிருக்கும் திருவோடு காந்தி.
சட்டம் ஒழுங்கை காக்கும் காவல் துறையினரை பார்த்து "நீ யாருக்கு வேலை பாக்குற, அண்ணாமலை உனக்கு சம்பளம் தர்ரானா” என்று ஒருமையில் பேசும் இவர் மீது தமிழக காவல்துறை என்ன நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க… pic.twitter.com/injzeRGJor
— Krishna Kumar Murugan (மோடியின் குடும்பம்) (@ikkmurugan) April 9, 2024
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