DMK, AIADMK caught off guard on minority issues

The parties, which usually vie with each other to claim the friend of minorities tag, have made dramatic ‘U’ turns on minority related issues in a few days. 

While the DMK was caught off guard on the NIA issue, the ruling AIADMK has been found wanting on the triple talaq issue.  

DMK president MK Stalin has expressed reservations about the BJP’s use of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), barely a few days after his party had voted in favour of the controversial NIA Amendment Bill in the Parliament. In the same vein, the ruling AIADMK has boycotted the vote on Triple Talaq Bill in the Rajya Sabha a day after its lone MP in the Lok Sabha P Raveendranath Kumar had waxed eloquent and voted in favour of criminalisation of instant triple talaq. Though the parties refuse to admit their inconsistency on the two sensitive issues, it would not require great wisdom to comprehend that they had got into damage control mode, more so given that nearly a third of the electorate in Vellore Parliamentary constituency would be minorities. A little over four lakh of the total 14.3 lakh voters in the constituency are religious minorities. 

Writer and DMK spokesperson Manushyaputhiran said, “Everyone is opposing terrorism. The question is implementation of anti-terrorism laws. We are only opposing the misuse of such laws. Our leader has voiced his views on misuse of the NIA. It applies to many other laws in vogue. Take Dowry Prohibition Act for an instance. Some people allege misuse of the law. Should we avoid misuse or scrap the law in toto?” 

However, he quickly added that it was not appropriate to compare NIA and Triple Talaq Bills. “The bill against triple talaq has been brought only against Muslims. But NIA is a general law against terrorism. We (DMK) supported NIA Amendment Bill in the interest of national security. We have raised objection on misusing the anti-terror law, targeting Muslims,” the writer added, refusing to elaborate. 

If sources in the DMK are to be believed, the political backlash has prompted the party leadership to have a rethink on the issue. A DMK senior requesting anonymity, admitted that voting in favour of NIA Amendment was a blunder. “The extent to which the BJP government is exploiting independent agencies against political rivals and minorities is no secret. Supporting such a bill based on Amit Shah’s oral assurance was unwise and it will only anger minorities,” the leader added. 

Unsurprisingly, similar views were echoed on triple talaq issue in the AIADMK camp. “Either we should have opposed and abstained or supported in both houses. Voting in LS and abstaining in RS after speaking against the bill would only make people doubt our intention. It was uncalled for during an election,” remarked a party spokesperson.

State Congress president KS Alagiri said the abstention in Rajya Sabha was cruel than supporting and the party has only helped BJP in the passage of the bill. Accusing the AIADMK of adopting double standard to get minority votes in Vellore, Alagiri said the people would teach a fitting lesson in the August 5 election. Ironically, five Congress MPs were among the absentees when the triple talaq criminalization was put to vote in the upper house.