It's frequent flier time, people of Manipur continue to wait for visit: Cong's dig at PM Modi
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Tuesday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his Mauritius trip, saying it is "frequent flier time" even as the people of Manipur continue to wait for a visit by him.
The opposition party claimed that the prime minister's "refusal" to visit Manipur for almost two years is really an insult to the people of the state.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "It is Frequent Flier time and the PM is off to Mauritius now. But even after President's Rule has been imposed in Manipur the situation remains tense."
The people of Manipur continue to wait for a visit by the PM, he said.
"His refusal to do so for almost two years is really an insult to them," Ramesh added.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi received a ceremonial welcome upon his arrival in Mauritius where he will attend the island nation's national day celebrations as the chief guest and hold meetings with the country's top leadership.
During the visit, the two countries will sign several pacts providing for cooperation in the areas of capacity building, trade and tackling cross-border financial crimes.
The Congress has been attacking the prime minister for not visiting Manipur besides slamming the Centre for its handling of the situation in the ethnic strife-torn northeastern state.
More than 220 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kuki-Zo groups since May 2023.
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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.
