Jhargram (WB): Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday dared West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to arrest him for chanting 'Jai Shri Ram', a day after three people were taken into police custody in Ghatal Lok Sabha seat for allegedly mouthing the slogan as her convoy passed by.

A video showing Banerjee fuming at some villagers in West Midnapore district for chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' along a highway on Saturday afternoon has gone viral on social media.

"Didi has thrown people in jail for chanting 'Jai Shri Ram'. I thought of saying Jai Shri Ram here today so that she can throw me inside jail too. That way, the people of Bengal might be protected from the wrath of TMC regime," Modi said.

Addressing a rally here, the prime minister also slammed CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury for his "derogatory" remarks against Ramayana and Mahabharata.

"It has become a fashion for communists to use derogatory language against Hindu religion," he said. 

Yechury recently branded religious epics Ramayana and Mahabharata as specimens of Hindu violence. The Ramayana and Mahabharata are "filled with instances of violence," the CPI(M) leader had said.

Taking a dig at Banerjee, Modi also said "Didi is banking on her "Mahamilawat gang" to become the prime minister of the country". "Her dream of becoming the PM has already gone for a toss. Mamata won't be able to bag even 10 seats in Bengal," he added.

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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.