Ramping up pressure on the Tamil Nadu government, the State unit of the BJP on Thursday said Union Minister Sadananda Gowda and Minister of State V. Muraleedharan will participate in the ‘Vetrivel Yatra’ on November 22 and 23 respectively. The MP and BJP youth wing president Tejasvi Surya will take part in the rally in Kanniyakumari on December 2.
State BJP president L. Murugan said party national general secretary Purandeswari would also participate in one of the rallies. An invitation had been sent to BJP national president J.P. Nadda for the yatra’s culmination at Tiruchendur on December 6, he added.
The State government has not given permission for the yatra citing COVID-19 as the reason but Minister Ma Foi K. Pandiarajan asked who would be held responsible if some terrorists attacked the yatra.
“The BJP has fought against Emergency. We have won against ruling parties in many States. The Vetrivel Yatra will continue whatever be the obstacles,” Mr. Murugan said.
Mr. Murugan questioned why COVID-19 was cited as a reason for denying permission for the yatra while only cases had been filed against the DMK for holding rallies, and the Congress was also allowed to hold rallies. “They are not being arrested. In fact, in meetings the CM participates, thousands are going. Why is only the BJP being stopped?” he asked.
When asked why the AIADMK, its alliance partner, was not giving permission for the BJP, Mr. Murugan said it was the Tamil Nadu government which had not given permission. When the contradiction was pointed out, he said the government comprised various officials.
‘We will face it’
The BJP Mahila Morcha national president, Vanathi Srinivasan, said in Coimbatore on Thursday that the yatra will continue despite many of its leaders being detained by the police for violating orders.
“We shall continue to do our duty. If the government files a case, we will face it,” she said. Terming the yatra a “democratic right,” Ms. Srinivasan claimed that its purpose is to explain the policies of the Central government and to expose the alleged “politics against Hindu religion” in the State.
Denying allegations of the BJP’s State unit breaking laws, she accused the State government of not allowing the yatra to happen in a smooth manner. “We only request the State government to extend cooperation for us to exercise our democratic right,” Ms. Srinivasan said.
On the decision of the Manonmaniam Sundaranar University to remove author Arundhati Roy’s book from its syllabus prescribed to M.A. English Literature students, Ms. Srinivasan claimed that the Akhil Bharthiya Vidyarthi Parishad was one of the organisations to raise objections and was not solely responsible for the decision.
Earlier, the BJP leader issued welfare assistance to 100 girls who have lost their fathers to help continue their studies, at an event in Gandhipuram.