In a heated political exchange, senior BJP leader and former Governor of Telangana Tamilisai Soundararajan questioned the seriousness of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) chief Thol Thirumavalavan after his party cadre showed up drunk and created a scene at an anti-alcohol conference that VCK organised on Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary.
Tamilisai questioned the sincerity of Thirumavalavan’s stance on alcohol prohibition, accusing him of political opportunism while pointing out that he paid tribute to K Kamaraj instead of Gandhi. The criticism escalated into a war of words, with Thirumavalavan firing back in his speech. The BJP, in turn, demanded a public apology for what they saw as the VCK chief’s personal attack on Soundararajan.
VCK Anti-Alcohol Conference
VCK conducted a women’s conference on alcohol and drug addiction on 2 October 2024 in Ulundurpettai, Kallakurichi, on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday. Party leader Thol Thirumavalavan inaugurated the conference by giving a speech on the importance of alcohol prohibition.
However, the event soon became a political battleground after senior BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan criticized Thirumavalavan’s participation in the conference. Soundararajan, a former Governor of Telangana and Puducherry, questioned the sincerity of the event, claiming there was no real support for the anti-liquor movement even within VCK.
Soundararajan Lashes Out At VCK Chief
Soundararajan also pointed out that Thirumavalavan had paid tribute to Kamaraj at a memorial instead of Mahatma Gandhi on the latter’s birth anniversary. She remarked, “Thirumavalavan went to pay tribute to Kamaraj instead of Gandhi. Perhaps he avoided it due to a guilty conscience that his party’s policies don’t align with Gandhi’s principles.”
Thirumavalavan Response
In response, Thirumavalavan fired back during his speech at the conference, explaining that he had intended to pay tribute to Gandhi but could not due to the Governor’s visit. “The police informed me that I could only pay my respects to Gandhi after the Governor had done so. Since the conference was about to start, I placed the garland meant for Gandhi on Kamaraj’s statue and left,” Thirumavalavan clarified.
However, he didn’t stop there, accusing Soundararajan of insinuating about his habits. “What Tamilisai is trying to say is that Thirumavalavan is a man who can open a bottle every day. Sister Tamilisai, I hope you don’t drink. I hope you don’t have a drinking habit. Like you, I don’t have that habit,” he added pointedly.
This statement triggered a strong reaction from BJP leaders, with the party demanding a public apology from Thirumavalavan for what they saw as an insult to Tamilisai and the Tamil community at large. Soundararajan, visibly upset, responded to the media, saying, “I never expected Thirumavalavan to stoop so low. I have never made any personal attacks in my 25 years of political life. I always believed in advancing civilized politics, but what he said is a black spot on his political career.”
She continued, “I criticized Thirumavalavan for bringing up the issue of alcohol prohibition now, for political reasons, despite having been in an alliance with the DMK for so long without pushing for this policy. I never made a personal attack, but he has responded with a vicious, unwarranted personal attack against me. He should answer to all the women of Tamil Nadu for his words.”
Thirumavalavan, who visited the Gandhi Mandapam this morning, paid tribute to Kamaraj instead of paying respects to Gandhi’s statue. “I don’t know why Thirumavalavan, who is also holding an anti-liquor conference, avoided Gandhi,” she said.
Responding to the comments made by Thirumavalavan targeted at her, Tamilisai Soundararajan who was taking part in the membership recruitment of the Bharatiya Janata Party in various districts of Tamil Nadu said, “In my political life, I didn’t expect Thirumavalavan to fall so low. He did not garland the Gandhi statue yesterday (2 October 2024) because of a change in principles and ideology. All these days you did not bring in the alcohol ban policy. I only said that for his selfish interest, he is bringing in the alcohol ban policy. I have never made a personal attack in my 25 years of political career. I am committed to advancing civilized politics. But yesterday Thirumavalavan spoke derogatorily, he can say he doesn’t drink. How can he say that about someone else? It is a very bad attack and that too on someone like me. He has expressed his opinion very badly. I did not expect this from him. I thought he was a civilised politician. I have avoided attacks on opposition and individuals. If I said it was not the policy, just say it is now your policy and be done with it. I am not affected by this but this shows how you think of other political leaders. I did not expect this from him. I did not say he is drinking daily but he did, he said she spoke as if I was opening the bottle daily. Why is he saying things I didn’t say? But Thirumavalavan has made a vicious attack on someone like me. I thought Thirumavalavan was a civilized politician. I did not expect this from him. He should be the answer to all the women in Tamil Nadu,” she said.
She added, “He has been an MP all these years, Gandhi’s principles are not only limited to the alcohol ban, but it also includes Ahimsa. Who taught his cadre to hit back if someone hit them? I did not think of any of this and yet he speaks about what I thought. I do not understand why he is feeling guilty. I did not expect this from him. This is a black mark in his political career.”
"அண்ணன் திருமா இந்த மாதிரி தரம் தாழ்ந்து பேசுவார் என நான் எதிர்பார்க்கவே இல்லை.. என்னுடைய 25 வருட அரசியல் வாழ்க்கையில் இப்படி ஒருத்தரை பார்த்ததே இல்லை" – தமிழிசை வேதனை#Chennai | #VCK | #BJP | #TamilisaiSoundararajan | #Thirumavalavan | #PolimerNews pic.twitter.com/QxHAYn7Ssl
— Polimer News (@polimernews) October 3, 2024
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