Ponmudi, a DMK senior politician and Tamil Nadu’s higher education minister, stirred controversy after he said that omitting the slogan “Jai Hind” is a timely change.
In an interview with Thanthi TV’s Kelvikenna Bathil programme, Tamil Nadu Minister Ponmudi remarked that omitting the word “Jai Hind” in the Governor’s address to the Tamil Assembly is a timely move, and questioned what is wrong with not saying “Jai Hind.” He added that it was Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin’s decision to avoid using ‘Jai Hind.’
He said that, aside from the fact that the slogan ‘Jai Hind’ is in Hindi, the DMK have other reservations about adopting the slogan, which the minister never disclosed in the interview.
He also added that India was created only by the integration of 562 independent countries during independence and that it did not exist prior to then. It is worth noting that Congress MLA and Leader of Congress legislative party in Tamil Nadu Selvaperunthagai stirred a row a few days back saying that the Indian union is formed by many countries, not states. Now the DMK minister Ponmudi has reiterated his statement, sowing seeds of separatism.
The Minister went on to add that the claim that India created states for administrative convenience is incorrect, and that India was formed only by the integration of many countries.
When questioned how the DMK’s future resolution differs from the ADMK’s resolution in the Tamil Nadu assembly, the minister said, “You will know when it comes (Varumbothu theriyum),” similar to how the Tamil Nadu finance minister PTR said, “Did we give a date for implementation (Thethi Pottangala)” for poll promise implementation.
Minister Ponmudi has never confirmed if Tamil Nadu would be exempted from the NEET exam this year, but has claimed that the DMK will make every attempt to get the exam cancelled in Tamil Nadu, further confusing students.
While answering a question on when the DMK government will lower petrol prices as promised in its election manifesto, the minister said that first and foremost, they must address the issue of drinking water, and only then will they consider the issue of petrol prices. He went on to say that the government will make efforts to lower the price of petrol in the future, but he never mentioned when that would happen.
(with inputs from ThanthiTv)
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