Two days before Ram Nath Kovind’s retirement from the post of President, a farewell function was organized at Ashoka Hotel in Delhi. Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers from states ruled by the ruling BJP alliance and its support party were invited. The inclusion of Tamil Nadu in it has raised many eyebrows. What’s the background?
In the invitation letter issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, only Chief Ministers or Deputy Chief Ministers of states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies and supporting parties were invited.
The letter requested that the invitation for the program could not be given to the Chief Ministers in person due to lack of time and that invitations would be issued through State Home Commissioners working in State Government Guest Houses in Delhi.
Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Odisha, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Puducherry. Only included in the list.
Two Chief Ministers who are not in NDA
Andhra Chief Minister Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy was invited. His party was not part of the ruling coalition. However, his party claimed to support Thirelapathi Murmu, who was fielded as the presidential candidate by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, and made its MPs and MLAs vote for him.
When the Prime Minister’s Office inquired about DMK sending an invitation to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, which is not part of the central alliance, the Home Ministry made arrangements for the same. Officials in the Prime Minister’s Office said that it was the Prime Minister and the Home Minister who finalized who should attend the event.
However, M.K. did not vote for Tirelapathi Murmu and supported Yashwant Sinha, the general candidate of the opposition parties. DMK led by Stalin has been invited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin was admitted to the hospital a few days ago due to corona virus. After that, he returned home after the treatment and participated in a couple of government programs only through video.
In this situation, he was unable to accept the invitation from the Prime Minister’s Office as the doctors advised him to avoid foreign travel.
However, when the chief minister’s office asked if they could send someone else on their behalf, it was informed that there was a superior order that only those on the invitation should attend the event.
M.K.Stalin who showed incapacity
Subsequently, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. signed a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Stalin has sent.
In that, he could not accept the call as doctors advised him to rest due to health problems. Chief Minister Stalin has mentioned that he will convey his heartfelt greetings to Ram Nath Kovind who is retiring from the post of President.
Meanwhile, DMK MPs DR. Balu, Kanimozhi, Trichy Siva, Palani Manickam, Tamilachi Thanga Pandian, Wilson and others met and congratulated. They also gave him an invitation to the Chess Olympiad festival to be held in Chennai. The meeting took place at the Chanakyapuri government residence where Tiralapathi Murmu is staying temporarily.
Earlier, AIADMK Interim General Secretary Edappadi Palaniswami attended the farewell program of Ram Nath Kovind organized by the Prime Minister’s Office. In the same event Union Minister of State L. Murugan, Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party President K. Annamalai also participated.
Annamalai welcomed Edappadi Palaniswami on this program and spoke to him for a few minutes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was accompanied by President Ram Nath Kovind, visited Annamalai and left Edappadi Palaniswami saying, ‘See you in Chennai’.
Is BJP in confusion?
Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party President Annamalai congratulated Edappadi Palaniswami as the Interim General Secretary of the AIADMK by the party’s general body.
But Prime Minister Modi and BJP National President J.P. Nattao did not congratulate him.
It is said that the Prime Minister and the BJP All India Congress avoided congratulating Edappadi Palaniswami as the AIADMK leadership case was pending in court during the EPS selection.
It is in this situation that the supporters of Edappadi Palaniswami S.B. The income tax department raided the homes and offices of people close to Velumani.
Moreover, the CBI, which was investigating the case of illegal production and sale of Gutka when the AIADMK was the ruling party in Tamil Nadu, had sought permission from the Tamil Nadu government to take criminal action against two former DGPs, former ministers, former councilors and former officials in the case.
The Tamil Nadu government recently granted permission based on the letter which was under consideration for a long time.
Govt sudden sanction in Gutka case
In that list, former ministers C. Vijayabaskar, N.V. Ramana, former DGPs D.K. Rajendran, George, Former Deputy Commissioner of Commercial Taxes V.S. Kurinchiselvan, Former Commercial Tax Officer S. Ganesan, former officers of Food Safety Department Lakshmi Narayanan, B. Murugan, ex-assistant commissioner of Puzhal Saraga Police R. Mannar Mannan, former inspector of Sengunram Police Station V. Sampath, former councilor of Chennai Corporation A. Palani’s names are there.
The move was seen as a setback for Leader of Opposition Edappadi Palaniswami when his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi took place at the Ashoka Hotel Arena.
During this meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi insulted Edappadi Palaniswami by not meeting him alone, so he left for Chennai on Sunday morning, skipping the inauguration ceremony at Parliament House on Monday.
Media that teaches politics
When BBC Tamil spoke to Chandrasekhar, who is looking after the affairs of the AIADMK office in Delhi, Edappadi Palaniswami met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Ashoka Hotel and said that he did not ask for any personal time to meet Prime Minister Modi. He also said that since the meeting was held out of respect on both sides, some politically connected media are trying to distort it and seek gain.
On the other hand, it is learned that O. Panneerselvam, who is claiming the leadership of the AIADMK, has asked for time to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally when he comes to Chennai on the 28th. It is also said that he has not gone to Delhi to meet the Prime Minister as he is currently on a post-coronavirus leave.
BJP stand
We had already asked Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party state president Annamalai who the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party would support when the two leaders in the AIADMK are working separately.
To that, he said that according to the party rules, the BJP will enter into political relations with whomever the volunteers accept as the leader. In that way, we are in political relationship with Edappadi Palaniswami. He had said that he is friendly with O. Panneerselvam.
Edappadi Palaniswami’s AIADMK chief, O. At the same time as announcing the removal of Panneerselvam from the post of AIADMK coordinator, O. Panneerselva also issued a statement saying that Edappadi Palaniswami and all those who support him will be removed from the party.
O. Panneerselvam is arguing that the AIADMK under his leadership is the real party.
In this matter, the Madras High Court has already ordered to hand over the key of the AIADMK headquarters in Chennai to Edappadi Palaniswami. O. Panneerselvam is exploring the possibilities of appealing against the order.
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