AIADMK organ mocks Amit Shah in sign that BJP a real threat

CHENNAI: A couple of days after BJP president Amit Shah’s two-day visit to Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK’s official mouthpiece ‘Namadhu MGR’ intensified its attack on the saffron outfit in an indication that the Jayalalithaa-led party in the state perceives a clear threat to its supremacy.
A satirical verse published in the paper listed various controversial ‘Hindutva’ speeches by BJP leaders.Written by its editor, the piece mocked Shah’s campaign saying no one in Periyar’s land (Tamil Nadu) would take it seriously. Political observers attributed this sharp reaction from the AIADMK to its paranoia over BJP’s moves to make inroads into its support base.
The AIADMK organ has used a snake allegory to elaborate its viewpoint. It narrates a story in which a poisonous snake wants to expand its base and requests God’s permission. God asks the serpent to go to the next village for a day. But it is driven out of the village by people who complain to God that it was responsible for the death of two people. God tells the snake “this is why I was protecting you without allowing you to expand your base.”
The paper compares BJP to the venomous creature and quotes excerpts from provocative outbursts made by several party leaders to buttress its point that just like the snake, BJP will rejected by the people of Periyar land. Some of the quotes of BJP leaders are; “Those who don’t accept Modi should be exiled to Pakistan. To prevent atrocities against women, they should not step out. There was a Shiva temple where Taj Mahal now stands.
In an another piece, the paper take a dig at BJP saying the party has managed to induct only few politically insignificant celebrities in the party but has been campaigning that it would secure 122 seats in the assembly polls. The paper also alleged that the BJP is practicing dynasty politics and lists names of the children of various BJP leaders.
“The speeches by BJP leaders at their recent rally show that they are not mature enough. They are criticising our government but what about their government at the Centre. PM Narendra Modi has not been able to answer Opposition’s queries in Parliament,” AIADMK spokesperson Avadi Kumar told TOI adding, “TN people are unhappy with the Modi government’s attempt to impose Hindi and other issues.”
Sources said the AIADMK leadership was upset with the speeches by BJP national general secretary Murlidhar Rao and state party chief Tamilisai Soundarajan alleging that the state government was inactive and making references to Jayalalithaa’s conviction in the assets case.