Elango’s Rajya Sabha candidature a precautionary move, says Vaiko

Earlier, when poll schedule was announced in April this year, DMK president and Opposition leader MK Stalin sought his willingness to contest for the Rajya Sabha seat and provided an opportunity for the MDMK, only if Vaiko was prepared to contest.

Since party cadre unanimously wanted him to represent the people of Tamil Nadu in Parliament, “I opted to contest the polls after accepting it,” Vaiko told reporters in Dindigul on Monday.

However, recently the special court in Chennai sentenced him to one year in jail after the police charged him for his alleged seditious speech under Section 124 (A) of IPC. During the pre-independence days, freedom fighters Mahatma Gandhi and Bal Gangadhar Tilak were punished under similar section and Tilak was even sentenced to six-year jail term in Mandalay in Burma for sedition. National leaders, including Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru opined that this draconian law should be scrapped, but in vain. But in the post-independence scenario, several persons were charged under this section after cases were booked against them, but except Vaiko nobody has been convicted so far. Further, Vaiko said he was the only Member of Parliament to have convicted under POTA and on sedition charge in the post-independence India. Moreover, Vaiko asked, on what basis he was convicted under sedition charge? “Those who shot at the portrait of Mahatma Gandhi, Father of the Nation and stamped it with their feet and also burnt it, were treated like bhakts and patriots. Similar treatment was accorded to those who voiced the need for installing statues of Nathuram Godse, who assassinated Gandhi, in city after city,” he wondered.

Only a sentence of two years and above would attract disqualification provisions under the Representation of the People Act, but since the sentence given by the special court on July 5 was one year in prison, it would not affect his chances of contesting the Rajya Sabha polls. He said it was of late, he sought Stalin to pick an alternative candidate, if his nomination was rejected on scrutiny. Only as a precautionary measure, DMK fielded NR Elango, advocate, Vaiko noted.