Sivaganga’s parliamentary Congress candidate, Karti Chidambaram, encountered a barrage of inquiries from women as he arrived to gather votes, leaving him unable to offer satisfactory responses. His reaction, standing frozen with a smile, sparked considerable commotion.
During his campaign on 8 April 2024 in the Sakkottai area of the Sivaganga Lok Sabha Constituency, Karti Chidambaram was approached by a group of women, among whom an elderly lady was particularly vocal. Touched by her fervor, Karti approached her with a smiling gesture. The woman, however, promptly rebuked him, stating that she had been a loyal voter of Karunanidhi’s DMK since childhood, and it was his alliance that she was now associated with. She further criticized the Congress, cautioning against their lofty promises of ₹1 lakh per year to the poor, and threw this admonition at Karti before he departed with a smile, assuring he would handle matters.
Subsequently, during his visit to Mithiravayal, Karti stated, “20 years ago in ADMK regime, they banned slaughtering of goats and votive offering of roosters, do you remember? Similarly, if BJP comes to power they will ban slaughtering goats, so if you want to have our rural customs then vote for our hand symbol. Similarly, the chief minister’s assistance comes to ₹1,000 per month, girls get ₹1,000 to go to college, bus (travel) is free, and children get tiffin at school. If you want this project to continue, you should vote for the hand symbol.” Women who had initially welcomed him turned confrontational, demanding accountability for his actions regarding the constituency’s welfare. In response, Karti Chidambaram’s supporters resorted to intimidation tactics against the women raising questions, further fueling tensions.
#JUSTIN மீண்டும் பாஜக ஆட்சிக்கு வந்தால் கிராமப்புற கோவில்களில் ஆடு, சேவல் பலியிட தடை விதிப்பார்கள் – கார்த்தி சிதம்பரம்#KartiChidambaram #Congress #BJP #Sivagangai #LokSabhaElections2024 #News18TamilNadu | https://t.co/3v5L32pe7b pic.twitter.com/kbhpLrHDKl
— News18 Tamil Nadu (@News18TamilNadu) April 8, 2024
The shocking revelation was that the parliamentary candidate from Sivagangai, who is also the incumbent Congress MP, appears to believe in the social media misinformation circulating as news cards from reputed news channels like Thanthi TV and Puthiya Thalaimurai TV. Despite the repeated debunking of these news items, a misconception persists that the Tamil Nadu BJP president stated that the slaughter of goats and roosters goes against Sanatana Dharma and that if the BJP gains power, it will be banned.
ஆட்சிக்கு வந்தா பாத்துக்கலாம்😅
உன் வாய்க்கு பூட்டு போட முதலில் சட்டம் கொண்டு வர வேண்டும்…😷#சனாதனத்தைஒழிப்போம் pic.twitter.com/3x5CmaTTd8— Kovai Nithya (@KovaiNithya) September 11, 2023
தமிழகத்தில் பாஜக ஆட்சி அமையும் போது கோவில்களில் ஆடு,கோழி பலியிடும் முறையை தடை செய்வோம்
தடைசெய்து விட்டு மனிதனை பலி கொடுக்க வேண்டுமா ❓❓ஆமாம் 🤪🤪 ஆடு எப்படி ஆட்டை பலியிட சம்மதம் கொடுக்கும் pic.twitter.com/QJ5YYeXqA0
— ஶ்ரீ தேவி ரஞ்சன் குமார் (@Shree_Rk0803) September 11, 2023
Critics suggest that rather than resorting to fear-mongering tactics and manipulating the trust of rural communities for votes, Members of Parliament should focus on genuinely representing their accomplishments within the constituency. Additionally, they argue that outlining their plans for the future, if elected, would be a more appropriate approach.
(with inputs from Kumudam)
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