Kiren Rijiju criticises Congress, issues 'warning' to Muslims
New Delhi: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has hit out on the Congress party and accused them of dividing Hindus and appeasing Muslims for electoral gains. Rijiju, who serves as the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, alleged that the Congress party uses Muslims as a vote bank.
Sharing a clip of his interview with news agency IANS on X on Sunday, the Union Minister for Minority Affairs wrote, “My warning to the Muslims: Do not become the vote bank of the Congress. My warning to Hindus and others: Do not become the victims of divide and rule policies of the Congress Party.”
“During elections, the Congress says its 15 per cent vote share (Muslim) is reserved. This reflects the mindset of the party. It's quite well known that the Congress views Muslims as its vote bank. That's a huge loss for the Muslims,” Rijiju remarked.
He said the Congress believes that Muslims will always vote for it. "How can the Muslim community develop amid such a thought process?” he questioned.
Additionally, he took a dig at Rahul Gandhi, stating that the Congress leader lacks understanding of the challenges faced by Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes. “Rahul Gandhi does not even know the ABCD about the problems and issues faced by the people belonging to the SC, ST and OBCs. Yet, he keeps talking about SC, ST, and OBCs all the time,” alleged Rijiju.
My warning to the Muslims: Do not become vote bank of the Congress!
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) October 6, 2024
My warning to Hindus & others: Do not become the victims of divide & rule Policies of the Congress Party. pic.twitter.com/hOL345qdYx
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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.
