Row over entry to JP centre: Akhilesh asks Nitish to pull out of BJP-led NDA
Lucknow (PTI): SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday urged Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to withdraw his party's support to the NDA, saying the BJP-led government in Uttar Pradesh has stopped 'Samajwadis' from paying tributes to socialist ideologue Jayaprakash Narain.
Kumar owes his political emergence to JP's movement, the former chief minister noted.
The Samajwadi Party chief also said that bamboo barricades would not have been able to stop 'Samajwadis' from visiting the Jay Prakash Narain International Centre (JPNIC) if it was not a festival day.
Yadav had reached the JPNIC on Thursday night and lambasted the Yogi Adityanath government for barring its main gate behind tin sheets apparently to prevent entry.
"The people of BJP are destructive. Give them anything good and they will destroy it. They stopped us Samajwadi people in the past also. This is the ninth day of Navratri, it is a festive day. What kind of 'adharm' they are doing on a day of festival," he said.
He wondered what kind of conspiracy was this that the BJP is celebrating the festival (ninth day of Navratri) but not allowing others to do so.
"Had it not been a day of festival these wooden structures (barricades) would not have been able to stop the Samajwadis," Yadav said.
He further noted that there are lot of "socialist people" who are part of the government and involved in running the system.
"The chief Minister of Bihar (Nitish Kumar) also keeps talking about Jayaprakash Narayan ji from time to time, in fact he has emerged (as a politician) from JP's movement itself. This is a chance that he has got to withdraw support from a government which is stopping Samajwadis from remembering Jayaprakash on his anniversary," Yadav said.
"Samajwadis have given respect to him (JP) and will continue to do so," Yadav added.
Kumar's JD(U) is part of the BJP-led NDA.
The SP chief garlanded a bust of Jayaprakash Narayan mounted atop a vehicle outside his residence where hundreds of party workers had gathered after authorities blocked his visit to the JP International Centre citing security concerns.
The late JP, as the socialist leader and fierce critic of the Emergency was known, has emerged as the latest centre of the tussle between the ruling BJP and the opposition party.
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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.
