Punish my son, don't target Biharis, says mother of Gujarat rape accused
Even as attacks on non-Gujaratis continue in the western state over the alleged rape of a 14-month-old baby girl by a migrant worker from Bihar, the mother of the rape accused has urged the people of the state to punish her son if he is guilty, but not target other Biharis, who are earning their livelihood there.
The family resides in a thatched house in Natwar Semariya village of Bihar's Saran district and is in a state of shock ever since the news of their son's arrest reached them. The father is a farm labourer and the family barely manages to live hand-to-mouth.
"We have no knowledge of what has happened to him or what has he done there. Some of our neighbours told us about the incident. Someone may have incited my son to do such a thing, but if he has done anything like that, he should be punished for it," the accused Ravindra's mother Ramawati told Zee Bihar-Jharkhand. She claimed her son was a minor and retarded and said other people should not be targeted because of him.
According to the family members, "The accused had gone to Gujarat some time ago with few of his friends to add to the family's income. He had not even informed his family when he had left and they had only recently come to know that he was working in some factory in Gujarat."
Meanwhile, several people from Bihar who were residing in Gujarat have returned to their native state, narrating their woes to their families here. Patna's Manish Kumar, who reached here on Gandhidham-Kamakhya Express on Monday said people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh were being threatened to leave their homes and jobs. "Many colonies and factories were attacked multiple times and people were told to go back home. The situation is very tense. I had to come home for the festivals, but I preponed my visit because of the situation there," he said.
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar had said that top officials of both Bihar and Gujarat were in touch over the condition there and the Gujarat government was keeping an eye on the matter.
However, Bihar's Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav attacked the Gujarat government saying, "We won't let the RSS goons from Gujarat to break the nation." He also sought an apology from Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani for calling people from other states as "migrants".
Courtesy: www.dnaindia.com
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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.
