Chennai: Tamilnadu politics, known for high drama and adrenaline-pumping action, is lately witnessing emotional scenes, with top leaders reminding one of character artistes in Tamil cinema with sentiments pouring out in their statements and actions.
Analysts say this is because of a volatile political situation in the State in the absence of strong leaders like Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi.
After labelling them as betrayers, the AIADMK on Saturday extended an olive branch to its 18 disqualified MLAs, asking them to jump on to the ruling party bandwagon.
Urging the debarred MLAs and other Dhinakaran loyalists, who moved away from the AIADMK, to revert to the parent party, the top leadership (Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam) asked them to “understand the reality” of the Madras High Court judgement that upheld their disqualification.
“We invite you with love and affection to join again the massive people’s movement nurtured by Puratchi Thalaivar MGR and Puratchi Thalaivi Amma,” OPS, the party’s coordinator, and EPS, the joint coordinator, said in a statement packed with sentimental words.
The Chief Minister and his deputy quoted a Tamil proverb which says love does not erode, despite quarrels or fights, adding all of them were “children of one mother, bonded by brotherhood and love”.
Superstar Rajinikanth, who was on an expulsion spree even before formally floating a political party, said in a statement Friday that he and his fans cannot be separated by any force. Not just that, he welcomed back with open arms some of the expelled members of Rajini Makkal Mandram when they called on him with tears at his Poes Garden residence and expressed regret for their ‘acts’.
This happened close on the heels of Murasoli, the DMK organ, carrying a lengthy article taking potshots at Rajinikanth and calling him a puppet in the hands of saffron forces
The trigger for Murasoli‘s satire was a statement by the top star 23 October, in which he categorically stated that he would not encourage people who join his political party with an aim to get posts or earn money.
“If working as a fan club member for 30-40 years is not an eligibility for entering politics, how is being an actor for the last 40 years an eligibility criteria to become the Chief Minister?” asked the DMK mouthpiece.
And on Sunday, two days after the polemic, Murasoli carried out a damage control exercise by announcing that care would be taken while publishing such articles in the future.
“It has been brought to our notice that an article published in Murasoli about Superstar Rajinikanth has hurt a few good hearts. The editorial team has been advised to exercise caution in publishing such articles in future,” said a corrigendum from the editor.
Sources say DMK president M K Stalin telephoned Rajinikanth and expressed regret over the article, saying it was published without his knowledge.
Raghupathy, a political observer, says, “With Tamilnadu politics coming to the point where anything can happen any time, the current crop of leaders is not ready to lose any support base. This is the only reason behind such acts.”