‘No place for national parties in TN’: Thambidurai takes a dig at Amit Shah

The Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha Thambidurai was responding to BJP President Amit Shah’s charge of corruption in Tamil Nadu.

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In a significant departure from the AIADMK’s accommodating stance towards the BJP, AIADMK leader and Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha M Thambidurai said on Saturday that no national party could make it in Tamil Nadu politics.

According to a report in the Times of India, Thambidurai said, “There is no place for any national party in Tamil Nadu, whether it is the BJP, Congress or Communist party.”

On July 9, BJP President Amit Shah visited Tamil Nadu, addressing a meeting in Chennai ahead of the 2019 parliamentary elections.

While the BJP chief made no direct reference to the AIADMK, he claimed that he was 'saddened' when he thought about the corruption reported in Tamil Nadu.

“These days, Tamil Nadu figures amongst the most corrupt states in the country,” he emphatically proclaimed. When the BJP comes to power in the state, this corruption in the government will end," he said.

The views have not gone down too well with the ruling dispensation.

According to one report in the United News of India, Thambidurai also challenged the charges of corruption stating, "Is there any evidence to prove that state ministers indulged in corruption? Let them(BJP) complain to the Lokayukta. We(AIADMK) are ready to face any charges.”

While it is speculated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP played a key role in helping merge the OPS and EPS splinter groups during the faction wars fought following former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's death, Thambidurai said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a good friend of AIADMK, but because of that we will not accept BJP leaders leveling false charges against us."

Despite allegations of the Centre controlling the state government in Tamil Nadu, the friction between the BJP and the EPS-OPS combine has not gone unnoticed in recent days. From opposing simultaneous elections to Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan's comments on terrorism in the state, the friction between the national party and the state government has come to the furore in recent days.

Also read: BJP gearing up for 'Mission Tamil Nadu 2019', Amit Shah sets ball rolling with first meet