- 5/28/2025
The top focus of this episode of 'To The Point' is on the growing tensions within the Congress party over Shashi Tharoor's praise for PM Modi and Operation Sindoor.
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00:00Good evening, you're watching to the point. I'm Preeti Chaudhary. We have two debates lined up for you first up
00:04Allow me to take you to the headlines
00:11Haru records more these in Dukka, but love it says our blood red
00:15Sindhu's event sources say Congress top brass upset says tarot giving cover fire to Prime Minister
00:23Prime Minister has made it very
00:27Operation Sindhu
00:29Was necessary because these terrorists came and wiped the Sindhu off the foreheads of 26 women
00:42Actor turned neta Kamal Hassan reignites language face-offs as Kannada was born out of Tamil language
00:49Chief Minister Siddharamaiah says Hassan unaware of Karnataka history or culture
00:54So
00:58Just a year before Tamil Nadu elections nda's formal invite to tvk top bjp leadership wants tie up with vijay
01:06Aidmk pitches for alliance as tvk wants dmk ouster
01:15Anna university sexual assault case accused ganan sekaran found guilty by chennai court
01:22Aidmk claims credit for forcing speedy action dvk says attempt to cover up by dmk is faked
01:35Clear was proof of india strikes on pakistan air bases pakistan air warning system at bollari air base was likely hit by
01:43india's brahmos
01:45Satellite imagery from murid shows missile strike craters
01:53In
01:54Trump halls new student visa appointments orders missions to stop new visa applications already scheduled visa appointments to continue
02:15All right, the latest news break coming in clearly the congress seems to be at unease over their own shashi
02:22Remarks
02:24As part of a delegation
02:26Abroad now
02:28Why is this totally out in the open what earlier seemed to be just murmurs and rumors and source-based information?
02:35congress general secretary has
02:37Shared an anti-tharoor post after pavan khera. Now. It is jairam ramesh who has endorsed udit raj's comments
02:46on shashi tharoor where udit raj says that practically
02:49Shashi tharoor has come to be the chief spokesperson for the bjp
02:54He also said that other governments never took credit for operations such as this
03:01hinting that
03:02Shashi tharoor is playing into bjp propaganda and a part of dispensing that propaganda
03:10Pawan khera on the other hand reminded tharoor of strikes during upa
03:15What was earlier viewers something which was clearly
03:19Source-based congress unhappy with tharoor what's going on?
03:23Behind closed doors. What's the buzz? What's the rumor mongering in the congress is seemingly now out in the open
03:30What does this really mean?
03:33But let me
03:34quickly take you through on what led to the congress now openly coming out and
03:41Criticizing going after their very own shashi tharoor
03:45Offshore diplomatic offensive
03:49Onshore internal congress strife
03:52operation sindoor envoy to the us shashi tharoor
03:56Praise for prime minister modi has once again landed him in a spot of trouble with his own party the congress
04:05Our prime minister has made it very clear
04:09operation sindoor
04:11Was necessary because these terrorists came and wiped the sindoor off the foreheads of
04:1826 women by
04:21Depriving them of their husbands and father their married lives
04:27In fact, there were some women cried out the terrorists kill me too and they said no go back tell what happened to you
04:36We heard we heard their crimes
04:39Tharoor calling the operation a bold symbolic move
04:45heaps of praises on the prime minister
04:50Stating that the sindoor wiped from grieving women's foreheads has been avenged with the blood of terrorists all of this
04:59Clearly not gone down too. Well with his colleagues within the congress
05:04Congress leader Udit Raj turned on Tharoor labeling him a super spokesperson for the Bharatiya Janata Party
05:12Accusing him of going overboard in praise for Modi and the mission
05:17Stating that previous governments never claimed credit like the BJP
05:22Shashi Tharoor
05:26BJP case super provocative BJP ke log nahi kaha paare
05:31Modi ji ki chamcha giri
05:34ya Modi ji ka gurgaon jitna hoon nahi kar paare
05:39BJP ke log utse zyada Shashi Tharoor kar rahe hain. Pehle ki sarkare dhol nahi peerti thi
05:46To yeh sabd wo aapis lehna chahiye ki pehle aisa nahi hua hai
05:51One would have thought this was Udit Raj's personal opinion
05:56But his tweet criticizing Tharoor was later retweeted by Mr. Pawan Khera
06:03This is not the first time that Tharoor has found himself in the dock with his own party
06:09Earlier on Shashi Tharoor had made it clear if the Congress doesn't want me. I have other options
06:16Tharoor has been in Congress cold storage with a clear trust deficit within the party and even the high command
06:23Multiple reasons for it for often praising the Prime Minister for raising incompetence in Congress
06:30For fighting Congress president elections against Gandhi's Khadge pick
06:36For praising left economic model in Congress
06:41Gandhi's Khadge pick for praising left economic model in Kerala
06:47Is the Congress all set to lose another asset?
06:55Congress's Tharoor conundrum dropped focus on To The Point this evening
07:05And that conundrum viewers is only getting a little deeper now
07:09Because the latest that has come to the fore till now
07:11What was rumored to be unease within the ranks of the Congress
07:15High Command as well as the Congress top leadership with Shashi Tharoor
07:19Is now seemingly out in the open
07:22The likes of Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh
07:25Reposting what Congress leader Udit Raj said about Shashi Tharoor
07:31Where he went on to criticize Shashi Tharoor
07:35Calling him a super spokesperson of the BJP
07:38Reminding him that other political parties like his very own
07:42Did not take credit for such operations
07:45That is Jairam Ramesh retweeting that post of Udit Raj
07:50Not just that viewers you have Pawan Khera
07:53Who also retweeted the same post but
07:56A step ahead went on to suggest
08:00Tagging Shashi Tharoor that the likes of Dr. Manmohan Singh
08:05Had led with equal amount of steadfastness
08:10And never really took credit for operations such as these
08:16So what till now because it's important to note
08:19Was a fight behind closed doors, rumours, murmurs
08:24No longer it's out in the open
08:26I want to go across to Rahul Gautam
08:27Before we cut across to our panelists for a quick word in
08:30Rahul what has led to the likes of Jairam Ramesh, Pawan Khera
08:35Openly endorsing Udit Raj
08:37Is there now a clear Tharoor policy in the Congress
08:41Distance yourself from him, criticize him
08:44Is it now out in the open?
08:50Preeti one thing is for sure that party is just not impressed
08:53With Shashi Tharoor's overboard praise as they call it
08:57For Modi government
08:58And in fact I myself spoke with the senior leader this afternoon
09:02And he said that in a way Shashi Tharoor is giving cover fire to BJP
09:07At this point of time when Modi government is facing backlash
09:11And is on back foot following sudden ceasefire between India and Pakistan
09:15With Trump mediating ceasefire as he's been claiming
09:19So clearly in a way Shashi Tharoor is giving an easy escape route to Modi government
09:24And in fact he also made a factual incorrect statement
09:29Which Congress party is saying that by making this claim
09:32That it was first back in 2015 when the first such a strike was conducted
09:37Under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi
09:39This is factually incorrect and that's why you see the tweet that has been retweeted
09:44Of Udit Raj by Pawan Khera and Jairam Ramesh
09:48It clearly endorses the fact that Manmohan Singh himself put in record
09:53That many such strikes were conducted
09:56At least 6 such strikes were conducted during UPA era
09:59However they didn't take claim for it or didn't make it public for consumption
10:05So clearly as far as Congress is concerned
10:07They are just not impressed with Shashi Tharoor
10:09With the kind of thing that he's been doing
10:12Rahul before I let you go one simple question
10:14Not impressed could that lead to tangible action against Tharoor
10:18Or they are going to let things lie
10:25Well as of now what we are learning from our sources
10:27Party is considering an action against Shashi Tharoor at this point of time
10:33Because this is maybe for the first time when Pawan Khera, Jairam Ramesh
10:37Senior leaders coming out endorsing views
10:39And you see the language of Udit Raj to it
10:42In fact he is openly calling Shashi Tharoor
10:44A spokesperson of BJP
10:46And also saying that in a way you have already changed your side
10:51So endorsing such startling claims
10:54Good warrant action
10:56So that's the deliberation
11:00Alright Rahul I appreciate you joining us with the latest
11:03We are going to come back to you
11:04Put the spotlight on that big question
11:06Till now this was all rumour mongering
11:08This was all source based information
11:09Congress so very unhappy with Shashi Tharoor
11:11But now viewers
11:12With the likes of Jairam Ramesh
11:14With the likes of Pawan Khera
11:16Backing what Udit Raj said
11:17And those were harsh words for Shashi Tharoor
11:19Is the Congress contemplating some tangible action
11:22Other than just being unimpressed or miffed with Mr. Tharoor
11:26That right now seems very very probable
11:29Let's cut across to our guests this evening
11:31Joining me Adil Singh Bhoparoy National Congress Spokesperson
11:34Pradeep Bhandari National Spokesperson Bharatiya Janata Party
11:37Joining me as well is Rajdeep Saldesai Consulting Editor
11:40He's joining us from Mumbai
11:42Rajdeep I'll quickly come to you first
11:44What do you make of the Tharoor Congress tensions Rajdeep?
11:48The latest now of course
11:49You have the likes of Jairam Ramesh coming out
11:52You have the likes of Pawan Khera
11:54Endorsing what maybe a junior leader said earlier
12:02Yes thanks very much Preeti
12:04Look the tensions between Shashi Tharoor and the Congress
12:09May have surfaced again in the manner in which Dr. Tharoor
12:13Is seen to have fully endorsed every government action
12:17During Operation Sindhu without the slightest tone of scepticism
12:21At a time when Rahul Gandhi is asking some hard questions
12:25Of the government
12:26So the dissonance is very clear
12:28Between Dr. Tharoor batting for the Modi government
12:33And the Congress leadership
12:35Or the rest of the Congress leadership
12:37Beginning to ask lots of questions of the same Modi government
12:41But let's be clear Preeti
12:44These tensions didn't start in April of 2025
12:48Their origins are in October of 2022
12:52When Shashi Tharoor took on Malik Arjun Kharge
12:56For the Presidentship of the Congress
12:58That's when really a section of the Congress
13:02Especially a few people close to Rahul Gandhi
13:05Like the Party General Secretary Organisation K.C. Venugopal
13:09Thought that Shashi Tharoor was almost challenging
13:12In a way the Congress establishment
13:15And there was a conscious attempt
13:17To somehow or the other
13:19Sideline and marginalise Shashi Tharoor
13:22Both during the elections and after it
13:25In fact a section of the Congress felt
13:27That Dr. Tharoor was using his bid for Presidentship
13:30To actually eye the Kerala Chief Minister's post
13:33And become the Congress's face for the Kerala elections
13:36Now as a result a lot of the factionalism came out
13:39Suddenly Dr. Tharoor found himself being isolated
13:43Wasn't being allowed to speak out in Parliament on major issues
13:47He was removed as the Head of the All India Professionals Congress
13:51And while he was accommodated in the Congress Working Committee
13:55The sense is Dr. Tharoor was getting increasingly restless
14:01Rajdeep stay with me I want to bring in our two other guests
14:04Also in this conversation
14:05I want to cut across to Adil Singh Boparoy
14:07Adil Singh Boparoy
14:08You know this is a question that will put the Congress
14:11In a bit of a tight spot
14:13But what was earlier just rumour mongering
14:15And you know tensions there
14:16Now out in the open where does the Congress stand
14:19On Dr. Tharoor
14:21Well Preeti India's foreign policy is far more important
14:26Than Mr. Tharoor
14:28Let's be very clear on this
14:30Point number one
14:31Point number two
14:32Mr. Tharoor is factually incorrect
14:35To say that the surgical strike for the first time
14:38Took place in 2016
14:40The Congress party is correcting him
14:43Dr. Manmohan Singh
14:45A statesman whose integrity, sagacity
14:49Is not even doubted by his worst critics
14:51Is on record to say that there were surgical strikes
14:55Prior between 2008 to 2014
14:58We of course had 1965
15:00We had 1971
15:02So therefore to say that
15:04Surgical strike took place for the first time in Uri
15:07Is incorrect
15:08So he is misinformed there
15:09But I must come to the larger issue
15:11Because the BJP cannot use Mr. Tharoor
15:14As cover fire
15:16To deflect attention from their own failures
15:19Number three
15:21It has been more than 37 days
15:23The perpetrators who pulled the trigger
15:26Are still at large
15:28I think the government needs to respond
15:30Number four
15:31Not just the U.S. President
15:34But now we even have the U.S. Commerce Secretary
15:37Who is on record to say
15:39That Mr. Trump
15:41Used trade and deals
15:43As a measure
15:45To ensure a cease fire
15:47So the country is well within its rights
15:49To ask the Prime Minister
15:51What are the terms of this deal?
15:53Why is the Prime Minister
15:55Shying away from answering?
15:57Either the Prime Minister must come on record
16:00And say sorry what President Trump is saying
16:02Is factually incorrect
16:03He doesn't do that
16:04He is allowing hyphenation of India and Pakistan again
16:09And it was with painstaking diplomacy
16:13Over the past several years
16:15That we were able to ensure
16:17That both these countries were dehyphenated
16:19Number five
16:21And I say this with a certain degree
16:23Of regret
16:25India's foreign policy
16:27Has been reduced to
16:29This trolling business of the Bhajans
16:31Okay
16:33Correcting Dr. Tharoor
16:35Because you know
16:37To start with
16:38He is a Congress leader
16:39I would reckon would be more diplomatic
16:41To pick up the phone and correct him
16:43Rather than do it publicly on Twitter
16:45And on national media
16:46But that's the call of the Congress
16:48I want this to play out
16:49I want to bring in our BJP spokesperson
16:52Mr. Pradeep Bhandari
16:53Into this conversation as well
16:54Pradeep Bhandari
16:55You know it's relevant
16:56Because you have one leader
16:58Who's clearly seeming to speak out of line
17:01Contradicting what the Congress line is
17:03And it's very much within the Congress's right
17:06To correct him
17:07Well Preeti
17:08There's a very famous saying
17:09That patriotism is supporting your country
17:11All the time
17:12And also the government
17:13When it is needed
17:14Clearly the Rahul Gandhi's coterie
17:16Has given a signal
17:17That anybody from the Congress party
17:19If supports the country on Operation Sindoor
17:22Will be sidelined in the Congress party
17:24Let me go step by step
17:26First of all it's ironical
17:27Of the spokesperson of the Congress party
17:30To correct one of their
17:31Minister of External Affairs
17:33MOS External Affairs in the UPA
17:35Data and facts tell us
17:36That there is no surgical strike
17:38Which is conducted before September 2016
17:41This is what the Army had responded
17:43In an RTI reply
17:45Which was quoted in May 8th 2019
17:48In a report in Business Standard
17:49And also in Times of India
17:50And other various platforms
17:52So there is no documentary proof
17:54Of surgical strike during the UPA era
17:56Dr. Manmohan Singh categorically
17:58Proudly said that he was very very happy
18:01This is his video here
18:02That he did not conduct a surgical strike
18:04After 26-11
18:06So that is the truth here
18:07The reality is that
18:09The entire country is united
18:12Bearing apart Rahul Gandhi's coterie
18:14Which is asking operational details
18:16Now he came to ceasefire
18:18I believe that not once, twice
18:19But multiple times
18:20Whether it is the Ministry of External Affairs
18:22Whether it is the Minister of External Affairs
18:25Whether it is the DGMO
18:26They have clearly said that
18:27There is no third country which is involved
18:29I will further reiterate
18:31And give you an example here
18:33Where the MEA in its official press conference
18:36Said that there is no third country
18:37Which is involved
18:38But the Congress party
18:39Believes in China
18:40Believes in United States of America
18:41Believes in third country
18:43Because they have traditionally been pro-Pak
18:46Now let us
18:47I will ask you a very simple question
18:49Post 26-11
18:50We gave a unanimous support to the Congress party
18:52Please go against Pakistan
18:54They gave a clean chit to Pakistan
18:56That is when we began questioning
18:58Here we have gone deep inside Pakistan
19:01And removed their terror headquarters
19:03The Operation Sindoor is ongoing
19:05And the four terrorists will also be killed
19:07Why is the Congress party taking a pro-Pak line
19:09And going against their leader
19:10Who has taken a pro-India line
19:11I want to bring in Rajdeep Sardesai
19:12Consulting Editor
19:13Back into this conversation
19:14Because Rajdeep
19:15We have debated this ad nauseum
19:17It is not the first time
19:18Like you pointed out in your first intervention
19:20Where you said
19:21That it goes all the way back
19:22To the election of the President of the Congress
19:25Where Shashi Tharoor
19:26Stood up against Mr. Khadge
19:27And after that
19:28You have seen
19:29A systematic sidelining
19:30Of Dr. Tharoor
19:32By the Congress
19:33The question I ask
19:34You have Dr. Tharoor
19:35Who has also made it very clear
19:36If the Congress does not want me
19:38I have other options
19:39Larger question
19:40Larger question
19:41Rajdeep
19:42Is the Congress all set
19:43To lose another asset
19:47Well Preeti
19:48I don't think
19:49Shashi Tharoor
19:50Is out to become
19:52Another Jyotiraditya Sindhiya
19:54Or Jitin Prasad
19:55Or Milind Devra
19:57Just yet
19:58Someone who leaves the Congress
19:59To join the BJP
20:00You just have to look at
20:01Dr. Tharoor's writings
20:02Over the last couple of decades
20:04He has been staunchly
20:05Against the BJP
20:08So I don't think
20:09Dr. Tharoor
20:10Wants to make a switch
20:11Right away
20:12Certainly not even in a state
20:13Like
20:14Particularly not in a state
20:15Like Kerala
20:16Where the BJP is still
20:17Party number 3
20:19My sense is
20:20Dr. Tharoor
20:21Ideally wants to
20:22Bide his time
20:23At least till next year's
20:24Kerala election
20:25See how that goes
20:27He has already made it clear
20:28To some of his friends
20:30And admirers
20:31That he is not very keen
20:32On re-contesting
20:33A Lok Sabha election
20:34In 2029
20:36So I don't see
20:37Shashi Tharoor
20:38Walking out of the Congress
20:39And I don't think
20:40The Congress
20:41Wants to lose
20:42Shashi Tharoor yet
20:44But they want to work out
20:45Some kind of a relationship
20:47Which
20:48At the moment
20:49Is becoming
20:50More and more difficult
20:51Because of the
20:52Level of mistrust
20:54That is being built
20:55On both sides, Preeti
20:58You know, I want to bring
20:59Back the Congress spokesperson
21:01Into this conversation
21:02Because Adil Singh Bopuroy
21:03With what you pointed out earlier
21:05Yes, you had
21:06Rahul Gandhi
21:07Rahul Gandhi
21:08In 2019
21:09I remember
21:10In an interview
21:11To our very magazine
21:12Said that
21:13Under Dr. Manmohan Singh's
21:14Government
21:15There were three surgical
21:16Strikes which were carried out
21:17But they didn't
21:18Tell the world
21:19Or publicize it
21:20In the manner
21:21With which
21:22The BJP government has
21:23And this is
21:24I'm quoting Rahul Gandhi
21:25All of this
21:26Adil Singh Bopuroy
21:27One would wonder
21:28Would be regular
21:29Debriefing
21:30To all the members
21:31Of the Congress
21:32Who were part of the delegations
21:33That you see on our
21:34Television screen
21:35Because there's been
21:36Mr. Sharma
21:37As well
21:38As well as Dr. Tharoor
21:39I would think
21:40All of this
21:41Would have been
21:42Debriefed to them
21:43And Dr. Tharoor
21:44Is no stranger
21:45To diplomacy
21:46He's held the highest office
21:47When it comes down
21:48To the external affairs ministry
21:49Preeti
21:50One thing is very critical
21:52And I request you
21:53To kindly appreciate it
21:54And for your viewers
21:55To understand
21:56India's stated position
21:57Forget the Congress
21:58For a minute
21:59India's stated position
22:00Till 2014
22:01Was very clear
22:02This includes
22:03Mr. Manmohan Singh
22:04That the government
22:05Of the day
22:06Will not hide
22:07Behind the
22:08Valor
22:09Of our
22:10Armed forces
22:11Number one
22:12And number two
22:13We never used
22:14The army's
22:15Valor
22:16Their contribution
22:17For domestic
22:18Political gain
22:19I think this
22:20Was the unwritten
22:21Charter
22:22Up till 2014
22:23Unfortunately
22:24That template
22:25Has been turned
22:26On its head
22:27By the biggest
22:28Government
22:29Of the country
22:30Which is
22:31The Indian
22:32Government
22:33Which has been
22:34Turned on its
22:35Head
22:36By the BJP
22:37Where they
22:38Repeatedly
22:39Used the
22:40Army's
22:41Valor
22:42For their
22:43Political gain
22:44Number two
22:45Number three
22:46Please see the
22:47Irony
22:48Because my friend
22:49Used this word
22:50Please see the
22:51Irony
22:52Before the
22:53Government
22:54Of India
22:55Could announce
22:56Or the
22:57MEA
22:58Could announce
22:59That there
23:00Has been
23:01A ceasefire
23:02Number four
23:03Not once
23:04Not twice
23:05But at least
23:06A dozen
23:07Times
23:08He is on
23:09Record
23:10To say
23:11That I
23:12Used
23:13Trade
23:14To broker
23:15Peace
23:16I used
23:17Trade
23:18To broker
23:19Peace
23:20I used
23:21Trade
23:22To broker
23:23Peace
23:24I used
23:25Trade
23:26To broker
23:27Peace
23:28I used
23:29Trade
23:30To broker
23:31Peace
23:32I used
23:33Deal making
23:34To broker
23:35Peace
23:36Am I as a
23:37Citizen
23:38Not entitled
23:39To know
23:40What are the
23:41Contents of
23:42This deal
23:43Number five
23:44It is all
23:45Very well
23:46For the
23:47BJP
23:48To skirt
23:49Accountability
23:50But today
23:51The fact of
23:52The matter
23:53Is that
23:54We are
23:55Isolated
23:56Not only
23:57Are we
23:58Isolated
23:59Globally
24:00We are
24:01Isolated
24:02Not only
24:03Are we
24:04Isolated
24:05Globally
24:06We are
24:07Isolated
24:08Not only
24:09Are we
24:10Isolated
24:11Globally
24:12We are
24:13Isolated
24:14Not only
24:15Are we
24:16Isolated
24:17Globally
24:18We are
24:19Isolated
24:20Not only
24:21Are we
24:22Isolated
24:23Globally
24:24We are
24:25Isolated
24:26Not only
24:27Are we
24:28Isolated
24:29Not only
24:30Are we
24:31Isolated
24:32Globally
24:33We are
24:34Isolated
24:35Not only
24:36Are we
24:37Isolated
24:38Globally
24:39We are
24:40Isolated
24:41Not only
24:42Are we
24:43Isolated
24:44Globally
24:45We are
24:46Isolated
24:47Not only
24:48Are we
24:49Isolated
24:50Globally
24:51We are
24:52Isolated
24:53Not only
24:54Are we
24:55Isolated
24:56Globally
24:57We are
24:58Isolated
24:59Not only
25:00Are we
25:01Isolated
25:02Globally
25:03We are
25:04Isolated
25:05Not only
25:06Are we
25:07Isolated
25:08Globally
25:09We are
25:10Isolated
25:11Not only
25:12Are we
25:13Isolated
25:14Globally
25:15We are
25:16Isolated
25:17Not only
25:18Are we
25:19Isolated
25:20Globally
25:21We are
25:22Isolated
25:23Not only
25:24Are we
25:25Isolated
25:26Globally
25:27We are
25:28Isolated
25:29Not only
25:30Are we
25:31Isolated
25:32Globally
25:33We are
25:34Isolated
25:35Not only
25:36Are we
25:37Isolated
25:38Globally
25:39We are
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31:45Estamos segurando
31:48Language war flares up again in South India
31:50Actor turned politician Kamalhassan sparked a controversy by claiming Kannada was born out of Tamil
31:57That' tutt
32:04He was speaking at the audio launch of his latest film Thug Life
32:07That' ttu
32:10This is my family in that village. That's why he has come here. That's why when I started speaking, I started with life, relationship and Tamil.
32:23It is your language that was born from Tamil. So you will also be included in it.
32:40In Bengaluru, the protesters tore apart Thug Life posters in anger. Under fire, Kamal Haasan rushed to control damage.
32:50Learn the language of the neighbouring state. Then you can see India.
32:59It is our duty to ensure that our language is not destroyed.
33:05Do you know how proud I am to say this in this village?
33:10We are all Thug people.
33:16With that pride, we offer our family Thug Life.
33:24Karnataka Chief Minister Siddharamaiah slammed the Tamil superstar over his remarks on Kannada.
33:31There is a long history of Tamil language. They don't know.
33:37The Karnataka BJP demanded action against Kamal Haasan.
33:42I condemn this. I recommend the government to boycott all the films of Kamal Haasan in Karnataka.
33:50Otherwise, he will act like a mental patient.
33:56The controversy has erupted even as Kamal Haasan is set to make his parliamentary debut.
34:01The DMK is sending him to the Rajya Sabha as its nominee.
34:05With Pramod Madhav, Bureau Report, India Today.
34:21But there is more when it comes down to the DMK and Tamil Nadu politics.
34:25After AIDMK and BJP joined hands to seal a poll pact with elections in Tamil Nadu just about a year away,
34:33another newly formed party led by actor Vijay is also grabbing the spotlight.
34:39BJP has now stepped up efforts to unite opposition parties in Tamil Nadu.
34:44Party leaders say Vijay should join the NDA to defeat the DMK.
34:47TVK, which is actor Vijay's party, took on the BJP.
34:52Because we are still now, the ideology, the politics of the TVK, which is actor Vijay's party, is anti-BJP and anti-DMK.
35:00TVK took on the BJP for trying to drag them into an alliance, rejecting the claims.
35:06TVK clarified that their goal is to defeat the fascist DMK, but without any help from the AIDMK.
35:13However, TVK has yet to clear up speculations about a possible future alliance.
35:18The situation escalated when AIDMK openly claimed that DMK is a symbol of corruption and stated that TVK shares the same view.
35:29AIDMK also hinted at the possibility of TVK joining the AIDMK-BJP alliance.
35:35Remember, actor Vijay is known for taking a strong independent stand against all other parties,
35:42which include the DMK, the BJP, even the AIDMK.
35:46TVK's Vijay has taken on, like I pointed out, all three parties.
35:51But is there something brewing or is it just posturing?
35:57All right, let's cut across right now to our guest this evening,
35:59Sumanth Raman, political commentator, analyst, T.S. Sudhir, columnist, political analyst, Shekhar Raiyar, senior journalist.
36:07Mr. Raman, what do you make of all that is going on with the uneasy alliances and the counters that are coming to the fore?
36:15Politics is really sort of getting more interesting in Tamil Nadu, Preeti.
36:21And I think that, look, whatever I heard is that the AIDMK and the BJP are not averse,
36:31potentially, to sending Mr. Vijay to the Rajya Sabha as early as June of 2025, which is in a few days' time.
36:41Now, we do not know as yet how Mr. Vijay has reacted to this and whether he will accept it.
36:47But they would like to have an alliance. Mr. Nayanar Nagendran, state BJP president, is very open.
36:54In fact, he said we would welcome Vijay's party into our alliance. It doesn't get clearer than that.
37:01So, the feeling in Tamil Nadu is if Vijay joins the NDA alliance, as it were, I think the elections would be completely turned on their head.
37:10Because multiple surveys show that at least 8-10% vote share Mr. Vijay's TVK may get.
37:19And even if an alliance does knock off a few percentage from that percentage, that should still be enough for the NDA alliance to defeat the DMK combined.
37:30So, I think that at the moment, Vijay is playing his cards close to his chest.
37:34But increasingly, there is also pressure within his own party cadre and leaders.
37:40One of his senior advisors is believed to be pushing very strongly for an alliance with the AIDMK.
37:47There is a rival faction within his party which says we should not go for such an alliance.
37:53So, he is being sort of buffeted from both sides.
37:57But the odds were he would make up his mind closer to the election date.
38:01But how much value he would have at that point of time still remains to be seen.
38:07But for now, unofficially, it does appear that the AIDMK and the BJP combined,
38:14which can get two members elected to the Rajya Sabha in June, are potentially not averse to offering one to Mr. Vijay.
38:23But Shekhar Iyer, is Mr. Vijay somebody, actor Vijay somebody who is going to be content with just Rajya Sabha?
38:31One would have thought the last couple of months have seen him have way larger political ambitions.
38:37Well, I don't think Vijay would like to settle for a birth in Parliament, particularly upper house.
38:45Because he is very ambitious.
38:48He is ambitious in the sense the way he has launched his party.
38:52See, initially he spoke of coalition politics, he spoke of alliance politics.
38:58Even for a beginner to start talking of coalition politics itself was a surprise.
39:03Because no greenhorn who starts politics or starts his own party will straight away talk of an alliance.
39:09But he did. But in the last few months, he has been critical of everybody.
39:13He has been critical of BJP, he has been very critical of Prime Minister.
39:19He has been, of course, critical of the DMK.
39:22Of late, he has been more critical of DMK because he feels the DMK administration is cracking down on his supporters.
39:29They are not allowing his party people to hold meetings and things like that.
39:33But there is also a reality that which actor Vijay probably realizes.
39:38He can't go far if he goes alone.
39:40He needs an alliance.
39:42In fact, there were discussions between AIADMK and actor Vijay's interlocutors about six months ago,
39:50before the AADMK decided on BJP alliance.
39:53That was a time when I think the whole thing got stuck because actor Vijay was insisting
39:59that his party would contest at least 50% of the seats.
40:03And the leadership issue should be left open or it should favor him.
40:07That is a point where Aditya Swamy realized that an alliance with this new party,
40:15Tamil Vetri Kazhagam or TVK, is not that easy.
40:18That's the time AADMK decided to accept BJP's offer.
40:22Particularly, Amit Shah went down to Chennai and there was a meeting in the hotel.
40:26And we all knew what happened after that.
40:28Okay.
40:30T.S. Sudhir, how do you view this?
40:31Because if you go back to that rally with Prashant Kishore,
40:35it did seem that actor Vijay wanted to build himself as the next Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
40:40Would someone like him be happy or be content with just taking a Rajya Sabha seat
40:45or play second fiddle at least in the AIADMK-TVK-BJP possible alliance?
40:51Well, if you rewind to 2018, Preeti, even Kamal Haasan wanted to be Chief Minister
40:56after the next Assembly elections or wanted to create a splash in the Lok Sabha elections.
41:02So, that kind of ambition is not something new as far as Tamil Nadu politics is concerned.
41:07In fact, I was just listening to the link as you were kind of reading out the names of different parties.
41:11So, if you just hear that again, DMK, AIADMK, BJP, TVK,
41:15it really reads like an alphabet soup and soups are generally tasty and interesting
41:20and that's precisely the case as far as Tamil Nadu politics is also concerned.
41:23Just to take from the point that Sumanth Raman made about Rajya Sabha birth to be offered to Vijay,
41:30while that may be in the realm of possibility, Vijay has always played this larger-than-life superstar role
41:36who kind of vanquishes the villains and emerges the victor in a matter of two and a half hours.
41:44Will he be willing to play the role of Rajya Sabha MP in the House of Elders
41:49and whether that would really satisfy his fan base in Tamil Nadu,
41:53many of whom would also be potential voters, especially the youth and women,
41:57that's a call he really needs to take.
41:59On the other hand is the possibility that he may just end up with some 8-10% vote share
42:04and practically no seats to show for that kind of an effort
42:08and that would mean a long haul for Vijay in the cesspool of Tamil Nadu politics.
42:13So, those are the two options before him.
42:15He needs to take a call quickly because just less than a year is there
42:17for the Tamil Nadu elections
42:20and the fact that they have decided to fulfil the promise made to Kamal Haasan last year
42:25and send him to Rajya Sabha obviously also means that the DMK is looking at Kamal Haasan
42:29as some kind of a counter-star power to Vijay as far as the Tamil Nadu elections next year are concerned.
42:36That's what they are pre-empting.
42:38Sumanth Raman wants to come in. Go ahead sir, make your point.
42:41Just one point. I didn't specifically say that the discussion was for Vijay alone
42:45as in personally the party leader to be sent.
42:50The idea was to offer one seat to the TVK. Vijay could choose to take it.
42:56Vijay could choose to nominate one member from his party
42:59because you see as yet they are a completely untested quantity.
43:02They have not even stood for local body elections officially as yet.
43:06So, it's a completely untested quantity and going on their own,
43:09virtually no poll gives them, opinion poll gives them any chance of winning anything.
43:15They are all saying 8%, 12%, 10% you know in that range
43:20but 10 or 12% is not going to get you anything in Tamil Nadu
43:24except unless you are part of an alliance and that is where he needs to take a call
43:29unless he says five years I will wait and then see what happens in 2031
43:34which nobody can really predict in politics which way these things will go.
43:37So, I think the sensible option for him is to sign up,
43:41choose the plan saying that the primary priority now is to oust the DMK government from power,
43:47sign up with the NDA and get a reasonable number of seats,
43:51get a presence in the assembly and who knows maybe even a ministry.
43:57So, that is all in the very much in the realm of possibility.
44:00Okay, fair point. Shekharaiah, final comments.
44:02Actor Vijay will not settle for an alliance where BJP is also an important constituent
44:15because his people who are backing him are not exactly very favorably disposed towards PM Modi or BJP
44:24and therefore I don't see a possibility of Vijay playing an active role in an ADMK BJP alliance
44:30unless Vijay decides to revive the original idea which ADMK had come for an alliance
44:37between ADMK and actor Vijay and then try to take in Seemaan.
44:41Seemaan is another player who has been around for a long time, he has his own party
44:46and he has been getting about 8-9-10% votes in all these elections.
44:50But this is an open question now and Vijay will still like to go it alone and show his support.
44:57Okay, S. Sudeep, final comments.
45:00See, there are problems even between the ADMK and BJP alliance at the constituency,
45:05at the candidate level in many districts and constituencies and Sumanth Raman would back me on that.
45:10Add to that if they actually bring in Vijay into the alliance,
45:13remember the kind of controversial comments which are made by BJP leaders like H. Raja over Vijay movies.
45:19I think it was a movie called Mersal.
45:21So, there have been problems between Vijay and the BJP Tamil Nadu leadership in the past.
45:24So, if they bring him in, it won't be a very smooth kind of an alliance.
45:29There would be a lot of ironing out of differences which would be required
45:32if this kind of a trio actually come together in order to beat the DMK.
45:36Alright, I appreciate all three gentlemen for joining us.
45:39Thank you. We are going to keep getting you back on the show.
45:42Lots coming in from Tamil Nadu, still a year away from election.
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