This story is from January 27, 2020

Rajinikanth’s spiritual politics will not eat into our vote base: BJP

Hariharan Raja Sharma, popular as H Raja, never shies away from controversy. One of the most vocal leaders of the BJP in Tamil Nadu, his hard-hitting speeches have won him both friends and foes.
Rajinikanth’s spiritual politics will not eat into our vote base: BJP
Hariharan Raja Sharma
Hariharan Raja Sharma, popular as H Raja, never shies away from controversy. One of the most vocal leaders of the BJP in Tamil Nadu, his hard-hitting speeches have won him both friends and foes. Touted as a front runner in the race for state BJP president tells TOI about his steadfast support for actor Rajinikanth over the Periyar issue, the party’s ties with the AIADMK and the protests against his party in Tamil Nadu.

Q: The debate over Rajinikanth’s comments is continuing. None of the political parties in TN supported him, but why is the BJP stridently backing him?
In Tamil Nadu politics, for nearly eight decades, a false aura has been built around EVR, so political parties are scared to speak the truth. There is no other reason for the silence of the parties. When the incident (Dravidar Kazhagam’s anti-superstition rally) took place in 1971, the All India Congress party also condemned it. But because of the aura around EVR, Dravidian parties are hesitant to criticise.
Q: If it was a false aura, why did Rajinikanth praise him in the past?
Many people have begun to understand the real face of the DK. People have understood that what was portrayed as rationalism was nothing but anti-Hinduism.
Q: Do you think politics in TN still revolve around Periyar four decades after his death?
No. People don’t subscribe to what EVR had said. The public is not bothered about his ideologies. At the DK meetings less than a dozen people gather. During the Andal issue I repudiated lyricist Vairamuthu. Thousands protested against his remarks on Andal. But how many attended an agitation against me?

Q: There is a view that Rajini brought up the Periyar-Thuglak episode to consolidate the Hindu support base ahead of his party’s launch?
In his speech at the Thuglak function, he did not just speak about the 1971 incident, he also mentioned about then chief minister M Baktavatsalam’s clampdown on Cho’s (late Thuglak editor) play. That’s a natural way of speaking at a function about Cho and Thuglak. The DK or the DMK should have refrained from attacking him. What Baktavatsalam, M Karunanidhi and Indira Gandhi did to Cho, these people are doing to Rajini.
Q: Rajinikanth has been criticised for speaking at the behest of the BJP. Your comments.
Rajini’s remarks were made in the context of Cho’s struggle and how he shot to limelight. It was the DK, which created an issue out of his speech. Had these people kept quiet, his speech would not have created such a ruckus.
Q: In the eventuality of Rajini launching his political party, won’t his ‘spiritual politics’ eat into BJP vote base?
No, it will not. More and more neutral and Hindu voters are realising what has been projected by people like me are facts. So, it adds strength to our argument.
Q: Does BJP see a better ally in Rajinikanth, if and when he launches his party?
I don’t want to put the cart before the horse.
Q: An AIADMK minister said the ruling party was waiting for the right time to snap ties with the BJP. Has the relationship between the parties strained?
There is no friction in the BJP-AIADMK alliance. Within 12 hours the minister had rephrased his statement. Regarding the alliance, it is up to the party leaders to decide. In the AIADMK, the chief minister and deputy chief minister have instructed that no party member should talk about the alliance.
Q: But the ruling party suffered a setback in the local body elections compared to previous civic polls.
This is a myth. The local body elections show DMK’s downslide has begun. How many seats did the DMK win in the Lok Sabha elections and what is the situation in the local body elections? The DMK has won only 40% of seats. All the independent candidates who won the local body elections have supported the AIADMK and hence the ruling party has bagged most of the civic body chief posts.
Q: The BJP did not do well in the local body elections. Is it still struggling to get a foothold in TN?
This is another myth. We got fewer seats because we contested in limited number of seats. There was a very big improvement for us over the parliament elections.
Q: What are your views about an anti-BJP mindset in TN?
It is not true. They (opposition parties) created such a mood during the parliamentary election. After that the mindset has changed.
Q: There are protests everywhere against Citizenship Amendment Act?
Now, people have started understanding CAA and how false information about the act was peddled. People have understood that it is not against any Indian citizens. The Congress, Left parties and the DMK want to whip up communal feelings.
Q: It has been five months since the BJP had a TN president. When can we expect a leader?
In a week or two an announcement is expected.
Q: There is talk that you might become the president.
I never talk about myself. All I can say is whatever the party high command asks me to do, in whichever position, I will abide by the decision.
Q: S VeShekar congratulated you on Twitter few days ago by sharing a photo of you with a crown. Is there a significance?
I have not noticed the photograph. There is no significance as far as I know. Linking the photo to the state BJP president’s post is wrong.
End of Article
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