Don't get into trap of getting popular with media: Anupam Kher's advice to Gambhir
Mumbai, May 28: Veteran actor Anupam Kher on Tuesday had a piece of advice for newly-elected MP Gautam Gambhir: refrain from falling into the "trap of getting popular with a section of media", after the former cricketer criticised the alleged assault on a Muslim man in Gurgaon.
Kher took to Twitter to congratulate Gambhir on his recent election victory and also advised the former cricketer.
"Dear @GautamGambhir !! Congratulations on your win. As a passionate Indian it made me very happy. Not that you have asked for my advice but still- Don't get into a trap of getting popular with a section of media. It is your work that will speak. Not necessarily your statements," he tweeted.
Dear @GautamGambhir !! Congratulations on your win. As a passionate Indian it made me very happy. Not that you have asked for my advise but still- Don’t get into a trap of getting popular with a section of media. It is your work that will speak. Not necessarily your statements.?
— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) May 28, 2019
The 25-year-old Muslim man was allegedly slapped by a group of people in Gurgaon on May 25. He was also reportedly asked to remove his skull cap and forced to chant "Jai Shri Ram".
The East Delhi MP had termed the incident as "deplorable" and asked the authorities to take "exemplary" action in the matter.
"In Gurugram Muslim man told to remove skullcap, chant Jai Shri Ram. It is deplorable. Exemplary action needed by Gurugram authorities. We are a secular nation where @Javedakhtarjadu writes 'O palan-hare, nirgun aur nyare & @RakeyshOmMehra gave us d song 'Arziyan' in Delhi 6 (sic)," Gambhir had said in a tweet on Monday.
Gambhir also said his secularism emanated from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's philosophy of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' and added that any oppression based on caste or religion is deplorable.
"My thoughts on secularism emanate from honourable PM Mr Modi's mantra "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas".. I am not limiting myself to Gurugram incident alone, any oppression based on caste/religion is deplorable. Tolerance & inclusive growth is what the idea of India is based on," he said in another tweet.
His comments, however, did not go down well with a section of his partymen in Delhi who said the cricketer-turned-politician's remarks might be used against the BJP by the opposition parties.
Gambhir, who joined the BJP before the recent Lok Sabha polls, contested from East Delhi seat and defeated Congress's Arvinder Singh Lovely by 3.91 lakh votes.
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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.
