Nadar Sangam seeks Tiruchi Siva’s apology for remarks on Kamaraj
The Congress stalwart’s native town erupted in anger over the comments made by the ruling party member. The sangam’s general secretary, G. Karikolraj, condemned Siva at the protest held at Desabandu Maithanam.
DMK MP Tiruchi Siva
MADURAI: Members of Nadar Mahajana Sangam lodged a protest in Virudhunagar against DMK Rajya Sabha MP Tiruchi Siva, who recently made remarks in bad taste on former Chief Minister K Kamaraj.
The Congress stalwart’s native town erupted in anger over the comments made by the ruling party member. The Sangam’s general secretary, G. Karikolraj, condemned Siva at the protest held at Desabandu Maithanam.
Participants held banners hailing Kamaraj and raised slogans against demeaning remarks made by a member of Parliament.
Karikolraj, who led the protest, said that 13 MLAs representing the Nadar caste and many MPs from the community have urged that pressure be built on Chief Minister MK Stalin to ensure the perpetrator seeks a proper apology. He warned that the protest in Virudhunagar was just a beginning and would spread to other places if the DMK chief failed to act. He asked Tiruchi Siva to take back his words.
Karikolraj sought the government’s intervention to ensure that such irresponsible talks don’t create any communal rift, as many social media users were posting unnecessary comments criticising Kamaraj, after the episode. He was referring to social media handles associated with the ruling party defending Tiruchi Siva’s talk.
T Kamaraj, All India Congress Committee Member from Tirunelveli, also condemned Siva’s remark and stated that what he said was totally wrong and baseless. The former CM Kamaraj styled himself the clean and earnest politician and never sought luxury, he added.
Kamaraj spent several years in jail, where there was no fan or air conditioner, sacrificing his life for the people, he said.
Jeyaraj, district secretary of the Nadar Sangam and Pandian, district treasurer, were among those who participated in the protest.
KGN Kanagarathinam, zonal secretary of the Sangam, thanked those who participated in the protest.
The comments made by Siva at a public rally organised by the DMK at Perambur on July 15 to celebrate Kamaraj’s birth anniversary are yet to subside, with fresh protests in Virudhunagar.
Siva’s focus on DMK patriarch Karunanidhi, instead of Kamaraj, for whom the event was organised, has led to a controversy that doesn’t seem to be settling down, with leaders of the Nadar Mahajana Sangam warning of fresh protests if no proper apology is tendered.