"Absolute shame": Omar Abdullah condemns shooting of TV show inside J-K assembly complex
Srinagar, Jan 12: National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah on Friday came down heavily on the Jammu and Kashmir administration for allowing shooting of a TV serial inside the legislative assembly complex, calling it an “absolute shame”.
Maharani, a Hindi-language TV series starring Huma Qureshi, was shot inside the assembly complex in Jammu in June last year. The series is inspired by political turns in Bihar in the 1990s when the then chief minister Lalu Prasad, who has been mired in the infamous fodder scam, installed his wife Rabri Devi as his successor.
“The true face of 'the mother of democracy', where once elected representatives of the people from all parties, religions, backgrounds & parts of J&K legislated on matters of great importance now actors & extras use it as a set for TV dramas,” the former chief minister of the erstwhile state of J-K said in a post on X.
He said it was a “shame that the BJP driven government in J&K has reduced the symbol of democracy, where they once sat and governed, to this sorry state of affairs”.
Abdullah further wrote, “They even have a fake CM coming out of an office I was privileged to occupy for 6 years. What an absolute shame!!!!”
The J-K legislative assembly was dissolved by the Governor on December 20, 2018.
The Mehbooba Mufti-led coalition government was reduced to minority following withdrawal of support by the 25-member BJP in the former state on June 20, 2018. The assembly was kept under suspended animation till December 19, 2018 before imposing Governor's as the former state had plunged into a political crisis.
There have been no assembly elections in J-K which was bifurcated into two Union territories - J-K and Ladakh - on August 5, 2019. The Centre also annulled Article 370 of the Constitution which accorded a special status to the erstwhile state. Ladakh is a Union Territory without assembly.
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) January 12, 2024
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
