The AIADMK on Sunday stripped Dairy Development Minister K.T. Rajenthra Bhalaji of the key party post of Virudhunagar district unit secretary, following his controversial statements in the recent past, including a tweet he had posted on Sunday.
Though a press release issued by AIADMK coordinator O. Panneerselvam and co-coordinator Edappadi K. Palaniswami did not specify any reason for the decision, party sources confirmed that the Minister's tweet, which he had posted without the party leadership's approval, was the last straw.
In a controversial tweet during the ‘Janata Curfew’ called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease, Mr. Bhalaji said that the happenings in the country were a “lesson to those insulting Hindu religious practices and rituals”.
“The happening in the country are a lesson to bogus crusaders who made fun of Hindu religious practices and beliefs. Please Sri Krishna Paramathma save this country and the people of this country,” he tweeted from his official handle. However, the post was deleted later.
However, a party leader said this single act could not have been the reason behind the decision to strip the Minister of his party post. “Usually, our party leadership does not take action against anyone on the basis of just one instance of indiscretion. It takes action only after complaints are continuously made against someone,” he said.
Another party functionary recalled that Mr. Bhalaji had been making public statements that either embarrassed the party leadership or did not have its approval. Following controversial statements by the Minister, the DMK had, last month, in a plea to the Governor, said he should be dropped from the Council of Ministers. The Congress too demanded the same.
Mr. Bhalaji had, in an interview to a TV channel, said “Islamic terrorism” will fuel “Hindu terrorism” and also claimed that the murder of Vijay Raghu, a BJP functionary in Tiruchi, had a religious angle to it, despite the police having rejected the claim.
