Didi politicising cyclone Fani, refused to talk to me: PM Modi
Tamluk (WB): Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of pursuing "cheap politics" over cyclone Fani, claiming that she did not speak to him when he tried to contact her to talk about the calamity.
Modi also criticised Banerjee for not hailing the designation of Masood Azhar as a "global terrorist" by the UN as she is "afraid that it might affect her vote bank politics".
"I am just back from Odisha after reviewing the post-cyclone situation. I also wanted to speak to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over phone to discuss the issue. I had called her, but Didi is so arrogant that she didn't speak to me. I waited for her call but she didn't get back to me," he said while addressing a rally here.
"Speedbreaker Didi was more interested in doing politics. I wanted to speak to the state officials but the state government did not allow that to happen," he said.
His comments came in the backdrop of the TMC hitting out at Modi for calling state Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi instead of talking to the chief minister to enquire about the ground situation in the wake of cyclone Fani on Friday.
Criticising Banerjee for not praising the efforts of the union government that led to the UN designating Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, he claimed that the Trinamool Congress supremo "was afraid that it might affect her vote bank in the state".
"The condition in Bengal is such that if you chant Jai Shri Ram, you would be put behind bars," he said.
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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.
