Why does Imran want Modi to continue as India's PM, asks Chidambaram
New Delhi: The Congress is happy the process of designating JeM chief Masood Azhar a global terrorist has concluded successfully, senior party leader P Chidambaram said on Thursday, while also asking why Pakistani premier Imran Khan wants Narendra Modi to continue as India's prime minister.
In a huge diplomatic victory for India, the UN Sanctions Committee on Wednesday designated Azhar a global terrorist after China lifted its hold on a proposal to ban him.
Reacting to the development, Chidambaram said Azhar was released in 1999 by a BJP government after the hijack of an Indian Airlines aircraft.
"After Masood Azhar masterminded the Mumbai terror attack in 2008, the process to name him as a global terrorist was started by a Congress/UPA government in 2009.
"We are happy that the process has concluded successfully in 2019. But why does the Prime Minister of Pakistan want Mr Modi to continue as Prime Minister of India?" the former home minister said in a series of tweets.
Azhar's designation as a global terrorist by the UN came two days after the fourth round of the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls. The elections end on May 19 and the votes will be counted on May 23.
Last month, during an interaction with a small group of foreign journalists in Islamabad, the Pakistan prime minister said he believes there may be a better chance of peace talks with India and settling the Kashmir issue if Modi's party BJP wins the general elections.
Khan said other parties would be afraid of a right-wing backlash in case of a settlement on the Kashmir issue.
The Congress seized on Khan's comments to allege that Pakistan has "officially allied" with Prime Minister Modi and said a vote for him would mean a vote for the neighbouring country.
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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.
