Rajnikanth, Kamal Haasan invited for swearing in of Modi as PM
Chennai, May 27: The top stars of Tamil cinema, Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, have been invited for the May 30 swearing-in of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister for a second term, sources close to the stars said.
While Haasan, whose fledgling political party Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) had made its electoral debut this Lok Sabha polls, Rajinikanth is yet to formalise his December 2017 announcement on taking the political plunge.
Sources close to both actors acknowledged the two being invited to Modi's swearing-in scheduled on Thursday, but did not divulge if the veterans would participate.
Incidentally, Haasan has been opposed to the BJP, even expressing joy that the saffron party which swept the Lok Sabha seats in rest of the country, did not win a single seat in Tamil Nadu, saying the state did not toe the national line.
His remarks that free India's first extremist was a Hindu, referring to Nathuram Godse who had gunned down Mahatma Gandhi, had drawn a strong reaction from the state BJP, which even moved the Election Commission,seeking action against him.
Rajinikanth, whom Modi had met in the past during his visit to the city, had in December 2017 announced that he will indeed take the political plunge, by floating a party that would contest from all the 234 Assembly seats in the state in the next general elections.
The next Assembly polls are due in 2021.
Incidentally, commenting on the opposition uniting against Modi last year, the superstar had said the Prime Minister was 'stronger' than 10 persons aligning against him.
"When 10 persons go against one person, who is stronger? Those 10, or the persons they are aligning against. If 10 persons declare a war against one man, who is stronger," he had said then on the possibility of a mega opposition alliance against Modi.
However, the veteran star had earlier questioned the 'flawed' implementation of theModi government's demonetisation exercise in November 2016.
Modi will be administered oath of office for his second term along with his new council of ministers on May 30 by President Ram Nath Kovind.
He is the first BJP leader who has been elected for the second time after completion of his five-year tenure, a feat so far achieved only by two Congress leaders Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi.
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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.
