Bharathiraja, the legendary Tamil movie director, is campaigning against the Congress party in Tamil Nadu. He is joined by fellow directors Seeman, Sheran, Ameer and actors Vadivelu and Manivannan, among others. All the likeminded film personalities have formed in to a forum called 'Eelam Tamil Supporting front,' led by him.
Bharathiraja has pledged to campaign against Congress candidates contesting from Tamil Nadu, including high-profile candidates like Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, who is contesting from Sivaganga and Union Panchayati Affairs Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar from Mayilathurai.
Bharathiraja had planned to protest against Sonia Gandhi's rally in Chennai, but the Congress president called off her rally, citing Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam supremo Karunanidhi's ill health.
Explaining the reason for agitating against congress and organizing a black flag demonstration against Sonia Gandhi, he said the Congress is an "enemy of Tamils."
We have been highlighting the plight of Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka for the past six months. The central government has not taken any action. Tamils continue to die in Sri Lanka, from bullets and from starvation.
Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon has visited Colombo twice. External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh have spoken to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse and asked him to protect the Tamil civilians.
That is useless. Every time someone visits Sri Lanka or speaks to them on the phone, the Sri Lankan president makes a press statement saying 'India is with us in the war against terrorism'. And they continue killing helpless, unarmed civilians.
He said Congress is behind the war, they are responsible, they are covertly backing Sri Lanka's war, they can stop the war, but they are not doing anything. The Indian government led by Congress is supplying arms and ammunition, training Sri Lankan soldiers and giving money to sustain the war. He said, the Congress is taking revenge on behalf of Sonia Gandhi. Thousands of Tamils are getting killed for the sake of one lady.
Given the popularity of the Tamil actors and directors, the Congress is not at all happy.
Commenting on a complaint filed by Congress with the Election Commission, citing him asking to vote against Congress, he said they are behaving like children. Let them fight us democratically. If they have a right to ask people to vote for them, we have a right to tell people not to vote for them. We never told people not to vote.
The group says "we have been speaking about the Congress plan and the genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka. We are making people understand the duplicity of the Congress, we have been highlighting the suffering of the Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka due to this war."
Bharathiraja and other film personalities are not contesting the Lok Sabha elections and don't care who wins either. He said, they are not supporting any political party. They are canvassing against the Congress only, not for any party. The people can vote for any party except the Congress. They have planned to protest till the last day of canvassing, May 11. The group, is touring every Lok Sabha constituency where Congress is contesting in Tamil Nadu appealing to people to vote against Congress candidates, calling Congress "the enemy of Tamils."
Bharathiraja has returned his Padma Shri award to protest India's Sri Lankan policy.
In the last Lok Sabha elections, the Congress contested and won 10 Lok Sabha seats. This time the DMK-Congress alliance faces a formidable challenge from the broader coalition led by the AIADMK.
[News edited by Tamil National]
Comments (4)
Subscribe to this comment's feedGENOCIDE IN SRI LANKA
-
- +0
-
-
INTOLERABLE
-
- +0
-
-
Tomorrow, will it be Tamilians of Tamil Nadu by Sri Lanka and India?
Are the Hindus of Tamil Nadu , Kerala, and Hydrebad are different from the Hindus of the North?
Are the Buddhists of Sri Lanka better than the Hindus of Sri Lanka for Congress party?
Whatever happened to the:
land of Ashoka (the wheel on Indian flag),
nonviolence of Gandhi,
ahimsa of Buddha (Sri Lanka 80% Buddhists)?