The “controversy” over chanting Jai Shri Ram during the India vs Pakistan match in Ahmedabad doesn’t seem to abate. After Udhayanidhi Stalin criticising the audience for it, next in line is DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran.
India is renowned for its sportsmanship and hospitality. However, the treatment meted out to Pakistan players at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad is unacceptable and a new low. Sports should be a unifying force between countries, fostering true brotherhood. Using it as a tool… pic.twitter.com/MJnPJsERyK
— Udhay (@Udhaystalin) October 14, 2023
Speaking at a campaign related event in Annanagar where he shared the stage with DMK Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, Dayanidhi Maran said, “When the Pakistani players were playing and when they got out and returned to the pavilion, the audience surrounded them and chanted Jai Shri Ram. I just watched the video fully. What I got reminded of was that, after the 2019 Parliamentary election victory, when we went for the swearing-in ceremony of all MPs, there were 330 MPs from BJP. And for the first time in the history of the Parliament, there were chants of Jai Shri Ram, they shouted so much. I bravely went there and shouted, Long Live Periyar, Long Live Kalaignar, Long Live Anna, Long Live Tamil. Only when I did that, they shut up their mouths.
Similarly, that video (match) is making the rounds on WhatsApp. When the Pakistan team visited India in the 70s or 80s in Chepauk and wins the match. After the victory, they carried out a victory lap in the ground. While they were doing it, audience from Tamil Nadu and Chennai, gave them a standing ovation and respected them. Only now we can understand why “sanghis” live in the north and in Tamil Nadu the reason they have no place here is because of Dravida model rule, Periyar, Anna, Kalaignar, Thalapathy MK Stalin, and next Udhayanidhi Stalin. We didn’t say anything wrong.
China has captured our land, but we must not speak about it. If I do, I am a traitor. If we ask them to retrieve our land, they are not bothered. Tamil Nadu is a peaceful state, there is no problem here. And after our leader took over power, we have become a safe and peaceful state. Tamil Nadu is the best state in India. The reason for that is you, the people living here. Every vote you cast for rising sun symbol is what is making Tamil Nadu progress and if you keep doing it, it will remain like this.” Saying so, he concluded his speech.
Is DMK comparing themselves with Pakistan? pic.twitter.com/VvaTnXUqEH
— Vishwatma 🇮🇳 (@HLKodo) October 16, 2023
There are several factual errors in the speech he made.
First of all, the match he speaks about in Chepauk stadium was not in the 70s or 80s, it was in 1999.
There were many MPs who took oath in 2019 in their mother tongues (preferred languages). While most of them did say Jai Shri Ram, there was nothing like they were shut up when Maran said Tamil Vazhga, Vazhga Kalaignar, Vazhga Periyar. In the excitement, he forgot to make his signature in the record books, though. In fact, Dayanidhi Maran went over to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and congratulated him as well.
BJP MP Hema Malini concluded her oath with Radhey Radhey, Krishnam Vande Jagatgurum; Bhagwant Mann of AAP ended his oath with Inquilab Zindabad, while Owaisi said, ‘Jai Bheem, Jai Meem, Takbeer Allahu Akbar, Jai Hind’. There were other MPs who also chanted Jai Ma Kali along with chants of Bharat Mata ki Jai and Vande Mataram. One MP also said Jai Mamata.
The MPs in the treasury benches did greet people like Owaisi and Sonia Gandhi with Jai Shri Ram but they stopped because they allowed them to proceed with their oath taking ceremony and not as claimed by Dayanidhi Maran.
A total of 320 MPs took oath on that day in June 2019 but Maran fails to indicate that they were MPs from all parties and not BJP alone.
When it comes to campaigning, people do tend to exaggerate but with the advent of social media, politicians fail to understand that it is very easy to factcheck their claims in an instant.
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