A portion of a speech given by Naam Tamilar Katchi’s head, Seeman has been making the rounds on Twitter (or rather X). In the video, he is says that Muslims and Christians became children of Satan long back and castigated them for voting for Congress and the DMK.
Annan @சீமாண் must think. It was during the UPA regime that Genocide at Sri Lanka happened. Both DMK & Congress were partners then. While Shri. @narendramodi is protecting the fishermen from Tamizh Nadu. Annan Seeman must offer unconditional support to Modi Ji. pic.twitter.com/tM4BTV3xV9
— Bulls Eye (@sreeramjvc) July 31, 2023
This is a part of a longer speech he gave at a protest demonstration condemning Manipur violence.
Seeman attributed the violence in Manipur to disputes over forest resources and accused the Central government of negligence in addressing the situation. He highlighted the religious divide among the tribes, claiming that the Kukis, mainly residing in the hills, are predominantly Christians and less likely to vote for the BJP, whereas the Meitei in the plains are followers of RSS/Hindutva ideology and tend to support the BJP.
During his speech, Seeman repeated the false information about the Gujarat riots especially about an incident that had been debunked by official documents and court testimonies. He claimed a pregnant woman’s belly was cut open and her foetus was taken out. This lie has been debunked decades ago as the post-mortem told a different story – read more here. The foetus was intact and documents were presented at the special court.
Seeman asserted that the DMK had expressed so much support for the Gujarat riots in the past, with prominent members like Murasoli Maran, TR Baalu, and Vaiko speaking in favour of the riots in the Parliament, that even BJP would feel embarrassed. He criticised the DMK and Congress for remaining silent on other instances of violence, particularly the ethnic cleansing of Tamils in Sri Lanka.
According to Seeman, the DMK and Congress had failed to raise their voices against the atrocities committed during the ethnic cleansing in Sri Lankan Tamils. However, now they are vocal about the issues in Manipur, which he believes undermines their credibility. He claimed that the NTK was the only party eligible to speak about the violence and injustice in Manipur, Gujarat, Sri Lanka, and Kashmir.
Seeman accused the DMK and Congress of exploiting sensitive issues like the Manipur violence for political gains, particularly during elections. He pointed out that during the Congress tenure, Irom Sharmila was on a 16-year-long fast, raising concerns about violence and human rights violations. He also mentioned that these are the same people who said “If there is an Army, there will be rape”.
Seeman accused the DMK of using the Eelam issue for their political advantage without genuinely voicing support for the affected ethnic people. He claimed that his party is advocating for the people in Manipur without expecting any electoral benefits, as Manipuris and Christians there are unlikely to vote for him. He also said, “We think Muslims and Christians are children of God but it is a fact that they became children of Satan a long time ago. They just go to church and sing and give the country away to undeserving people.”
This is very bad and highly offensive .@CMOTamilnadu pic.twitter.com/9hZIjuzbkQ
— Vishwatma 🇮🇳 (@HLKodo) August 1, 2023
He also blamed the Christians and Muslims for voting for the DMK election after the election and bringing the country to the roads. “Muslims and Christians need to take responsibility for all the injustice happening in the country today. They have given their 18% vote share to DMK and Congress all these years and brought the country to the roads. Appalling levels of corruption, bribery, poor administration of the country – they are responsible for it. What is the point of getting our sins forgiven at the church, they are the biggest sin! Who are they to forgive us?”
Seeman claimed that Muslims may have a perception that the DMK will protect them, but he criticised the party for allegedly keeping Muslims in prison for extended periods, which he sees as an ironic form of protection. He challenged the DMK to release the innocent Muslim prisoners and promised that his party, the NTK, would support them in the elections if they take such action. He accused the DMK of being afraid of the Congress when it comes to releasing Tamil prisoners and suggested that they might also be reluctant to release Muslim prisoners due to their fear of the BJP. Seeman emphasised that their goal should not solely be to oppose the BJP and Congress, as he believes the DMK is also playing a supporting role for them and preventing their downfall.
Seeman criticised the voters for enduring hardships under the ruling party. He pointed out that during the summer months, people wait in long queues for water and complain when their harvested grains are affected during the monsoon. Despite these difficulties, he accused the voters of repeating the same mistakes by supporting the DMK.
He mentioned that women vote for the DMK, are lured by incentives like ₹1000. Seeman expressed his dissatisfaction with the early advertisement of such benefits, starting 6 months ago in spite of the fact that the scheme was going to be rolled out only in September 2023 implying that it is a tactic to influence voters.
Seeman further criticised the excessive glorification of the late DMK leader Karunanidhi. He sarcastically suggested that even institutions like wedding halls, libraries, and dental hospitals were being named after him. He expressed frustration with the naming of roads, streets, and various places after Karunanidhi and compared it to the extent of glorification as if the entire state and even people’s houses should bear his name.
During elections, especially the recent Erode elections, Seeman claimed that DMK members go to great lengths to gain favour with voters, even resorting to doing household chores for them in some instances. He implied that such actions were opportunistic and aimed at gaining political support.
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