RSS-BJP combine is out to 'devastate' Kerala's social, spiritual landscape: Swami Agnivesh
Thiruvananthapuram : The Sangh Parivar is taking advantage of the Sabarimala issue and has posed a frontal challenge to the rule of law and the Constitution, social activist Swami Agnivesh said Friday.
In a release, Agnivesh said the RSS-BJP combine is out to "devastate" Kerala's social and spiritual landscape.
"This is far more sinister. The natural disaster (flood) united and energised Keralites. The present unnatural disaster improvised to boost BJP's electoral fortunes is threatening to pollute the soul and tear apart the social fabric of Kerala," he said.
He urged the Keralites to think "clearly" and refuse to be misled by "deceptive propaganda".
"The BJP and the RSS were clearly in favour of women's entry into the Sabarimala temple. They have taken an opportunistic U-turn, because they have their eyes only on making electoral gains by communally polarising the people. They know no other way to power and profit," Agnivesh said.
The activist, who plans to visit Kerala in the first week of December, said the Sangh Parivar knows that "Kerala is the strongest bastion against communal and caste-driven politics".
"They believe that the only way an inroad into the state can be made is by using religion as a Trojan horse, smuggling their agenda pretending it to be something other than what it really is," he said.
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TN polls: TVK pushes DMK behind with leads in 83 seats, AIADMK ahead in 54
Chennai (PTI): New entrant TVK, led by actor-politician Vijay, was leading in as many as 83 constituencies on Monday when counting of votes polled in the April 23 Assembly polls was on across Tamil Nadu. The AIADMK was leading in 58 seats while the ruling DMK was ahead in 34, EC data showed.
About two hours after the postal ballots were counted and EVMs opened for multi-round counting, Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam surged ahead of its Dravidian rivals-- the DMK and the AIADMK, with the ruling party struggling to catch up.
If the trends maintain, Vijay could as well ensure the biggest electoral upset, something in lines with the "1967,1977" wins he had referred to in his campaign speeches.
While the Dravidian stalwart CN Annadurai brought the first non-Congress government in Tamil Nadu post-independence in 1967, the charismatic MG Ramachandran (MGR) installed the maiden AIADMK government 10 years later, unseating then DMK government under M Karunanidhi. TVK was leading in most Chennai segments, all considered DMK strongholds and currently represented by the party in the 234-member House.
A poor show by DMK could belie most exit polls giving an edge to it, riding on the number of populist measures Chief Minister M K Stalin had implemented in his five year "Dravidian model," inclusive governance.
According to EC and TV reports, 15 cabinet ministers, including Stalin were trailing. His son and deputy CM Udhayanidhi was also behind in his incumbent Chepauk-Tirvuvallikeni seat, according to a number of reports.
Stalin was trailing behind TVK's VS Babu by 1234 votes in Kolathur segment. Vijay was ahead in Tiruchirappalli East by over 3,000 votes at the end of two rounds of counting, according to EC data.
BJP is trailing in 26 constituencies and it is ahead in Thali segment alone. TVK is ahead in constituencies including Ponneri, Tiruvallur, Poonamalle, and Avadi.
AIADMK is leading in segments including Katpadi, and Guidyattam and party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami is ahead in Edappadi segment by 7003 votes.
DMK was leading in segments including Vellore, Anaikattu and Rishivandiyam.
