- 6 weeks ago
In this episode of Super 6, the focus is on the race to woo the Christian vote ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections next year.
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00:00Hello and welcome. Good evening. You're watching Super 6 here on India Today.
00:04I'm Akshita Nathagopal getting you all the top stories that we're tracking this Monday evening
00:09with our focus particularly on what's happening in the southern states as always.
00:14We begin first with a glimpse of what to expect over the next 60 minutes.
00:17Our focus is going to be on the big fight for Tamil Nadu.
00:21We're inching closer to an election in the state.
00:24It's evident in the campaigning that we've been witnessing.
00:27And what we've seen in the last 24 hours is an outreach to the minority vote.
00:31The Christian vote in particular.
00:34In the week and the days running up to Christmas, we've seen two big events.
00:37One held by TVK chief Vijay Today where he lit up a Christmas tree where he spoke of communal harmony.
00:45This was followed in fact, this particular event happened just hours after Chief Minister Stalin
00:50had taken part in a similar event in Chennai.
00:54Again, a Christmas event.
00:56It tells you how crucial the Christian vote really is.
00:59I'm going to be running you through all of those details.
01:01First, as always, we take a look at the top 10 headlines.
01:07Amid growing concerns over the Aravali hills, the centre has alleged misinformation.
01:13Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav says the Aravali range is still protected.
01:16And that only 0.19% of the total area is actually eligible for mining.
01:23Mahayuti sweeps the Maharashtra local body elections, winning 207 posts.
01:28In contrast, the opposition Mahavikasa Ghadi has just won 44 posts, triggering a rift within the coalition.
01:34The Udav Thakere-led Shiv Sina faction has targeted the Congress over the loss.
01:38After the Maharashtra local body polls, all eyes now on the BMC elections.
01:44The Thakere brothers are expected to come together for these crucial polls.
01:51Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken a wailed dig at Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav
01:58during a state assembly session amid a heated debate over the alleged illegal trade of codeine-based cough syrup.
02:03Yogi Adityanath has said there hasn't been a single death in UP due to the same
02:09and says charges by opposition is baseless.
02:13TVK Chief Vijay held a major Christmas event in Tamil Nadu's Mahamalipuram on the outskirts of Chennai.
02:19This outreach is the first major initiative by the TVK
02:21and is being seen as a significant minority engagement.
02:27After Congress Chief Malikar Junkarge defended the High Command over the Karnataka CM drama,
02:32Karnataka Home Minister Jeev Parameshwara met with Malikar Junkarge.
02:36Chief Minister Sidra Maya has been invited to Delhi for the CWC meet on December 27th.
02:41As DK Shriv Kumar is also expected to travel to Delhi tomorrow.
02:46After actor Nidhi Agarwal, Samantha Ruth Prabhu was mobbed by fans in Hyderabad.
02:50Videos of the incident involving Samantha have gone viral on social media,
02:54inviting backlash from users who criticised this mob and fan culture.
03:02The High Court has issued a notice to Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi,
03:06seeking a response in the National Herald case.
03:08The ED has challenged the trial court order in the Delhi High Court.
03:11But the Delhi court, remember, refused to take cognizance of the ED charge rate.
03:17Bangladesh continues to simmer after a spate of violence that rocked the nation.
03:21After Osman Hadi's killing, another youth leader,
03:24Muttalib Sikdir of the National Citizens Party,
03:26was shot in the head.
03:27His condition is critical.
03:29He's currently undergoing treatment.
03:33Back-to-back trade deals for India.
03:36After Oman and the UK, a free trade pact has now been signed with New Zealand.
03:40India has guarded the dairy sector from New Zealand imports.
03:47Now, like we've been saying, it's C for Christmas, C for campaign.
03:51Because in an election season in Tamil Nadu, that's exactly what happens.
03:55Every issue, every rally, every festival is politicised.
03:59TVK chief Vijay held a mega Christmas event in Tamil Nadu's Mahabalipuram.
04:04And it's marked a significant outreach to the Christian community ahead of the Assembly elections.
04:10Minority votes play a crucial, decisive role in several key constituencies.
04:14Take the Christian vote, for example.
04:15It's about 6% population as per the 2011 census in Tamil Nadu.
04:21And in southern districts, plays a big role.
04:24And the fact that Vijay, of all of his rallies, has chosen a specific event to mark Christmas
04:29speaks volumes of exactly what his campaign strategy really is.
04:34And that could cause trouble for the DNK, for the Congress.
04:38It's Christmas time, and in Tamil Nadu, lights are up.
05:03Cakes are out, and the festive cheer has a political twist.
05:13TVK chief Vijay turned Mahabalipuram into a playground of gifts, laughter, and a little bit of election buzz.
05:21He spoke on Bible, sending a message ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
05:26He spoke on Bible, sending a message ahead of the 19th century to the 19th century to the 19th century to the 19th century.
05:56Meanwhile, Amit Dheepam Rao, Vijay, pitched communal harmony, calling Tamil Nadu like a mother, where all children are equal.
06:17He vowed that TVK will protect communal harmony and social equality.
06:22And they bakalipur kama by one step then.
06:24The book should know that, and now they can sayimi hatten and naszej tendencies.
06:27And that it means everyone.
06:28That we have to commit to killing that tradition and calf was equal.
06:30Because of all the time they cast into Killam Rao.
06:32this marks TVK's first major minority
07:01outreach ahead of 2026 and remember minority votes are expected to play a crucial role in the
07:08elections DMK also held a grand Christmas celebration on Saturday aiming to safeguard
07:19its loyal Christian vote bank
07:21you
07:28you
07:30you
07:31you
07:32it's about not la I mean is here like a lot give on the cool on our brother
07:42Michael I really like a picture like a lot but I was sick around from cake
07:51crumbs to campaign strategies Tamil Nadu's festive season is turning into
07:55an early election battlefield and this Christmas the political sleighs are just
08:00getting started with Pramod Madhav in Mahabalipuram Bureau Report India Today
08:08okay let me bring in Pramod Madhav first to get us details of this big bash that took place in
08:18Chennai on the outskirts of Chennai rather with Pramod we've seen two such Christmas events
08:22taking place in the run-up of course to the festival you've had the DMK with their event
08:27the TVK with their event as well is this the DMK then making a clear pitch for the Christian vote
08:33for the minority vote Pramod but one thing is very certain Akshita like the DMK alliance have made it
08:39very clear that the minorities are with them this way they've been pitching it since 2017 and after
08:43the CAA introduction and such DMK has called it very clearly claiming that they are the ones who
08:48will support the interest of the minorities and this is what the chief minister also reflected
08:53in his recent program however interestingly Vijay also said the same thing today where he claimed
08:57that his political ideology is secular social justice and he also claimed that 100% assurance
09:05will be given over communal harmony interestingly his speech comes over at a period where we can see
09:10by like you know certain kind of boiling situation at Tirupuram Kundram as well so this is this is
09:14actually definitely making a huge message at the same time Vijay also you used this particular
09:19event to talk about one particular story about a person a youth who was thrown into a well by his
09:26own jealous brothers now we've come to know that the person's name is also Joseph and Vijay's name is
09:32Joseph Vijay so there are a lot of parallels that is being drawn over there because finally Vijay says
09:37that that man recovered and he became a king of a country and also protected his own brothers who
09:42betrayed him Akshita. All right Pramod interesting analysis and details that you put out for us
09:48thanks very much uh for joining us let me open this up joining us here on super six we've got uh
09:54felix gerald spokesperson of the tvk sumansi raman political analyst narayanan tirupati state vice
10:00president of the bjp tamil nadu and we have people around political analyst uh vanakam good evening
10:05gentlemen thank you all very much for your time i'd like to state on record here that the dmk was
10:10invited for this debate but chose not to participate i'd like to begin with dr sumansi ramad good evening
10:16sir what do you make of the tvk's event today you know we've seen multiple rallies yes by
10:22Vijay so far but the fact that you had one focus particularly on christmas perhaps speaks volumes
10:27of what the tvk strategy really is i think uh this was on the cards and uh to be honest we have to
10:35give Vijay some more time to see if he's going to celebrate the festivals of other faiths with equal
10:40gusto right so that would really be the unlike the dmk which we know will you know hardly ever
10:46celebrates uh diwali or uh uh ganesh chatuti or any other festival and uh these uh these their
10:53celebrations are reserved for uh christmas and eve so i think that for Vijay we'll have the jury is still
11:01out on whether he is going to be uh truly secular though he has made that claim so uh the only point was
11:08today a number of the people who spoke at that function made what were fairly political speeches
11:18they said that you know he would be the chief minister or he would rule the state soon and so on
11:23and some of them actually actively some of the uh you know clergymen on stage pledged their support so i
11:30think that this is a something which perhaps Vijay could have avoided but i think it was a very deliberate
11:39the jitters would have gone out in the dmk camp which probably explains why they were not keen to
11:44come on your show today akshita they there is a problem the minority vote is what keeps the dmk in
11:51power i've been saying this not now for the last 10 years and for five years it is a solid minority vote
11:59that has helped the dmk win time after time after time minority vote in tamaladu is 15 to 16 percent some
12:06people say it may be as high as 20 percent and of that 90 plus goes to the dmk and the dmk alliance
12:14that is what keeping the is keeping them in power without that they would be cleaned out and i think
12:21that Vijay is now starting to threaten that minority vote at least the christian is that a good strategy
12:28to you is that a good strategy certainly it's a good strategy and i and what as far as he is concerned
12:34he needs a core water base one core water base are the youth that is a done deal of the gen z crowd that
12:42Vijay is attracting they're going to vote for him but you can't just win with just gen z votes you need
12:49another core water base you need three or four such core water bases to increase your vote share and
12:54Vijay may have identified community votes as something that he would like to get but having
13:01said that i would still give him the benefit of the doubt organizing a christmas meeting is fine
13:08now the point is we have to see is he going to organize a pongal meeting is he going to organize
13:13meetings on similar lines for festivals of other faiths now that is where the true test would be let me
13:20bring in a felix gerald on that felix first of all congratulations on your political plunge and on
13:26your debut now as a spokesperson of the tamaraga vetri karagam so you're on the other side now where
13:32you'll face all of these questions felix uh will the tvk be celebrating pongal in a big way like they have
13:38christmas definitely they will they will and our leader is truly secular and he he was the only one who
13:49accepted that he has a faith in god and he has taken periyah's ideology but except the uh even atheism
13:57so he will celebrate all the festivals in the same way that he had celebrated the christmas celebration
14:03today so this wasn't an outreach to the christian community and this wasn't an outreach to a certain
14:08community pardon this wasn't an outreach to a certain community he had the ramzan celebration
14:14he had already celebrated ramzan festival i mean uh celebration and he he is now celebrating christmas
14:25as as mentioned by mr sumansi raman he'll be celebrating pongal as well and coming to the minority see all
14:34these days dmk was literally cheating the minorities although there was a there is a 40 to 60 lakhs of
14:41voters minorities are the one who decide the victory of any political party in tamilnadu all these days
14:47dmk was literally stealing those votes by giving them a false promises and now tvk is is a is a only
14:54option it's a very big option for minorities to to divert their votes to tvk and i'm sure people really
15:03minorities they do trust our leader vijay and it is not the gen c alone that that is with mr vijay and
15:11it's the entire demography people of all ages people of all faith and people of all uh all
15:18economic section they are all with vijay and vijay will make a big change in the upcoming election
15:24and definitely minorities are going to be with him okay so that's that's a big pitch you know i asked you
15:30clearly if this is an outreach to the community you say that there will be many more felix gerald but
15:34from what you said it's a clear message that yes the tvk is looking at securing the minority vote too
15:40mr narayanan tirupati your view of what's been playing out you know bgp says that this is a whole
15:44lot of vote bank politics that play appeasement politics with the minority communities but from
15:49what the tvk says they say look we have the right to celebrate every festival we'll ensure a big bash for
15:53pongal as well now see while you know the political party is celebrating or joining with people to
16:00celebrate their religious festivals it is wrong you know to do politics or to ask votes or to ask support
16:11in these functions in these celebrations or the uh those who are conducting this kind of celebrations
16:19watching for their support to the concerned political parties is communal in that way whoever
16:26i've been calling bjp as communal have become communal now these partners in the name of religion they
16:32are seeking votes with the minority community because they know that these people vote in bulk the the
16:40the votes of muslims are decided in the mass and the votes of christians are decided in the churches
16:46that we have been regularly saying and that is the reason they are going in for these minority
16:52celebrations minorities festivals but whereas the dmk as the sumanthsi raman said that we have to wait
16:59and see what mr vijay does but as far as dmk is concerned they don't even wish diwali or pongal or
17:06whatever it is they don't consider you know these festivals uh uh but there is the stallion
17:12which takes part in the jallikatu event no no jallikatu is not a seat jallikatu is a different
17:18uh game so that that is a different one that is a part of uh pongal festival or rvs festival and i
17:24am talking about diwali or pongal or krishna jayinti or vinaya sadharti there are so many krishna jayinti so
17:31many hindu festivals are there but they don't even wish when we ask them within this challenge that
17:37those who have belief i use them that is what he said so we have to wait and see dmk they want the
17:44minority votes whether it is muslims or christians in fact yesterday mr salin was in the stage where
17:51so many people assured them that the christians will vote in mass for the dmk and today the same
17:58thing is happening with mr vijay so in the name of religion definitely it is wrong definitely it
18:05is wrong to propaganda that they're in that stage it is communal okay mr pullara your opening comment
18:11on this the bjp says that you know the dmk constantly points fingers the bjp says they're
18:16communal in nature they do communal politics but isn't this also communal politics when you reach
18:21out to one particular community at these festival events speak about voting for which party
18:27i'm surprised mr narayan says that because our country was divided on religion our country was
18:34divided on religion don't forget those those wounds still go on the wounds are still going on look
18:41left and right behind besides our country it's going on you know religion is nothing new in india
18:47i think religion is older than india and this is not just going to go away tomorrow yes we need harmony
18:53we need all of that and definitely everybody is trying their bit and along with c for christmas
19:00and c for campaign maybe you should have added c for courage and c for clever because you see the
19:06minority i i know i heard mr raman say 15 percent i would say that 20 percent maybe 20 percent you
19:13know i mean i believe the 20 percent of the voters not a small portion and they're all concentrated in
19:19maybe 120 30 constituencies they really hold the key i didn't put them there i didn't convert them
19:25they want they are there and therefore people will take advantage people will take advantage i had
19:31not even support them no crores of people going there i had nothing against the code therefore
19:39part of it to say that religion is new and politics i think you know it's not correct
19:44and whether the other point is the religious leaders definitely in tamil nadu like in kerala
19:51they have a hold on the voters of minorities unlike hinduism which is multi-theistic we have hundreds of
19:58religions i'm a hindu practicing hindu there's no pontiff there is no pope for us there is no
20:03mafti for us grand mafti therefore we are different they they listen to their leaders that's why
20:09both stan and mr tbk no but do you think then mr puller out that with what vijay is doing that will
20:15dent the dmk and congress that it will affect them that's why i said see for courage he is courageous
20:21to try to do that and see for clever also because he's smart enough to do that whether it dents or not
20:28it will naturally make somebody nervous they'll get more involved and all these things how they'll
20:33play out in time tamil nadu is one of the first states in the country to have elections of the
20:38type that we have now i think it was 1920 therefore it's very experienced and they will play their
20:44cards yet there is a new factor and you know whether he's going to be a has he reached unless he reaches
20:52critical mass you know the minorities may not go for him i don't want to anger my friend mr felix
20:59the minorities who ate and see who is going to win we always look for the candidate who can defeat the
21:04bjp it's not a secret it's a publicly known fact all over the country and therefore we have to wait
21:10and watch or as mr kamraj would have said pakalam all these three wise men whatever they have said
21:17it has to be tested by time okay felix gerald you know one of the questions that keep coming up from
21:23political rivals is you know you say we'll celebrate all festivals that the tvk ensures that they represent
21:29all religions why didn't vijay have a statement to put out on what's happened in thiruparang kundram
21:38no thiruparang kundram yeah i'm really happy that you asked about thiruparang kundram
21:43thiruparang kundram is a literally staged drama by gmk in in nexus with uh hindutwa forces and it was it was a
21:52deliberate planned uh event to manage uh to manipulate the the minorities no i'm suggesting
21:59this is a bjp dmk orchestrated drama you're saying dmk and bjp are together in this they're fighting
22:08yes our our our our leader is is been telling that bjp and dmk has a secret nexus and this
22:17thiruparang kundram issue was exactly planned by both of them so that they they can they they both can
22:24become a uh sensation they see but the dmk narrates sets the narration for this election it is not
22:31against the admk it is they are bringing bjp they are quoting bjp it's an election against dmk and bjp
22:38that is their plan and i i i i once again reassert that the thiruparang kundram as a planned uh event
22:46orchestrated by dmk so why should we uh involve ourselves in a drama played by dmk and bjp i i
22:54think mr felix is wrong and he is trying to divert the entire issue it was actually a judgment given
23:01by the honorable justice mr swamanathan in the madras high court so you he is trying to you know
23:08disobey he is trying to disrespect the court's order mr felix also see for for these reentrics this kind
23:16of accusations one can easily throw even i can throw stating that karur episode was uh same as
23:23felix said between dmk and tvk but i don't want to say like that because you have to be at least you
23:29know straightforward in politics the bjp said this is a conspiracy no that is what i said even i can say
23:37i don't want to say because i am straightforward now mr felix for want of politics he is trying to
23:44say that it is a ply between the dmk and bjp bjp never came into the picture in their program it was
23:51the honorable justice who gave the order yeah we all know um you know actually that we all know what
23:57all happened and what is happening so this is but but mr vijay should have come out openly in that issue
24:05because we all know that uh normally uh people who say that they are followers of eve ramaswami
24:13they don't talk in favor of hindus that is what is happening the entire so you see the image here
24:19you see the image here mr felix gerald of being anti-hindu not there there wasn't any statement
24:24from vijay on this you had statements from vijay of course uh endorsing what periyar stood for all of
24:30this leads to an image that you know tvk vijay is anti-hindu what's your response to that
24:37no he's not anti-hindu see i'm telling because the if you see the timeline of the tiruparam gunram issue
24:46it is you can definitely understand it was the tamilnadu police which stopped muslims from entering
24:51to the darga and the problem started with that two years back it started like that they were not able
24:58to go to the darga and to sacrifice uh animals especially uh goats and chickens and then they
25:06later they were not allowed to enter what was the judgment no no no what was the judgment no no before
25:11the judgment all this before the judgment all this before the judgment i'm talking about i'm talking
25:17about before the even the court no no no let me finish let me finish so then mr felix i think the
25:24question that comes up is right now what's played out it happened because of a court order so how
25:28could you suggest it's a conspiracy no i am talking about two years back not today not this to quote
25:35okay so today why has there been no statement from vijay
25:42let me finish and
25:46i am talking before that sir even before the court order okay then it was dmk
25:51uh the government advocates they are they they gave they no objection to to contest a protest
25:58but in a different places and even even now that they were 144 was placed but they the police
26:06they could have stopped them even before entering the city so they wanted a unrest in in
26:12they want to politicize the this event this place and the locals no locals are completely
26:19they were not no no what what do you what does he mean by uh before the city there were people hindus
26:26the devotees who throng the trip around they as per the courts chandra and karthikey divam thousands and
26:33thousands of people go there the court the court never asked the devotees or any hindu to go and
26:39light the lamp the court asked the temple management to go and light the lamp i think
26:43felix is totally unaware of what has happened under why should somebody stop the devotees from entering
26:49the temple even yesterday the the question was that when when you stop the uh devotees of hindu
26:55devotees entering the temple how can you send somebody for this sandana guru festival there this is
27:01what yesterday this has happened and nobody is there to question why felix has not questioned why
27:06vijay has not questioned see you can you just can't always bash you can accuse the devotees this is
27:14wrong why we are talking about the court judgment even this non-vegetarian thing when it is actually
27:21i am not talking temple management stopped please understand it was the temple management which stopped
27:26it was the local administration then the court gave a verdict court gave a verdict that it should not be
27:32there please understand no so felix general quickly your response quickly that is what i am also
27:38telling why the temple management stopped why why temple management stopped why didn't all the devotees
27:45of darga to enter that is the judgment sir it belongs to the temple sir the entire hill belongs to the
27:51temple it is not possible it is not correct please understand no sir the judgment even in the even
27:58i think i think i think i think we're going around itself mr felix general the point has been made
28:02here in private private council in london the point that's being made here is that this was a
28:08court order and the darga they all it belongs to the muslims the court verdict is very clear
28:13no the very it is it is settled in 1838 no no mr felix general we're talking about the current
28:19court order the current court order that allowed on kartika deepam for the lamb to be littered the deeper
28:23that's what they're talking about i'm not i'm not i'm not talking about the current court no so let's
28:27talk about the current issue no let's talk about the current issue let's talk about the current issue
28:31and ask not two years ago today not two years ago today why was there no statement from vijay sir
28:37please answer my question not two years ago today why was there no statement it is a long plan no no
28:45it is a long plan it is a long started before two years and it is escalating every day because it is a
28:52It's a drama. It's in code. Please understand. It is not started yesterday to last two years.
28:58If it is a plan, Felix Geralt, if it is a plan, you are accusing the Jets of playing this. Are you accusing the TV case of accusing the Jets?
29:08I am not accusing the Jets. It is a plan, sir. It is a plan. Why Tamil Nadu police stopped?
29:16If it is a plan, if it is a plan, why Tamil Nadu police stopped people entering the Dargah even before the court?
29:22Even before the court. I am talking about even before the court.
29:25Only two years back. Why they stopped Muslims from entering the Dargah?
29:29No, one second. One second. We are going back again in circles. Dr. Suman Siraman. Yes.
29:33I want Mr. Felix to answer one question. Yes or no. Should the court order be implemented or not?
29:41Yes, sir.
29:42Should the state government implement the court order? Yes or no?
29:46Mr. Felix?
29:49The state government should implement the court order and they did I think.
29:52They have not implemented. They have not implemented. The order is to light the Deepak on the Deepak.
30:00They have lit the lamp in a different place. That's it.
30:04No, no.
30:04The court order is not implemented.
30:13Yes, they have not implemented. So you agree that they should?
30:15I am talking about, see, your…
30:17That is the whole problem.
30:17When it is not implemented, where was Vijay? Why has he not implemented on that?
30:21Sir, that means, sir, who went to the court? Who went to the court?
30:25Sir, who went to the court? Who went to the court?
30:27Who went to the court? Please tell us.
30:28Who went? Who went? Who went to the court?
30:30Tell me. Tell me who went. Who went to the court? Who went to the court?
30:32Who went to the court?
30:33Name the complainant.
30:34He himself is a…
30:36He is a Hindu to a party, sir. He is a political man.
30:39No, no. Why am I bothered?
30:41Okay, Mr. Felix General, let's say it's a political person who went to the court.
30:46Ultimately, but it wasn't based on that action was taken. It was based on an order that came from a judge, sir.
30:51Anyone can file a petition. Anyone can file a petition. But ultimately, the judge has to say it's a court order.
30:58See, DNK will use… See, what happened in the protest of sanitary workers? They will use court order…
31:09Sir, he is not answering the question.
31:11No, no, no, no, no.
31:13No, no, no.
31:15No, no, the entire thing. Sir, Rama Ravikumar is a layman. Is Rama Ravikumar a layman?
31:20Sir, whether he is a layman. He is a layman. He is a non-political person.
31:23Sir, it's a court order. He is a layman. Sir, he is a layman. He did for devotees. What is your problem?
31:30Sir, it's a politically motivated case, sir. It is a politically motivated case.
31:34How can it be a politically motivated case?
31:36What has he done, sir? Should the order be implemented?
31:38Mr. Pulla Rao.
31:39What is the judgment? Suman Si Raman is asking one straight simple question.
31:43Should the government implement the order or not? Very simple. If they don't implement,
31:48why as a political party leader, Vijay kept quiet.
31:51Yes or no. Simple.
31:52That is what Ankita is asking. Simple.
31:53Yes or no.
31:55Sir, I am telling again and again, it is a drama. Why should we come to…
31:59Sir, you are not answering the question.
32:01You are not answering the question.
32:03It is a court order.
32:04Mr. Pulla Rao.
32:05Okay, Mr. Pulla Rao, please. Mr. Pulla Rao, go ahead.
32:09I think we end up just going in circles because Mr. Felix General doesn't want to answer the question very clearly.
32:13Mr. Pulla Rao.
32:14Well, the main thing is, from what we see, Mr. Vijay has to get clear.
32:18He can't be on this side of the fence, that side of the fence.
32:21It is a religious issue, elections, religion has taken a very, very strong forward step in Tamil Nadu.
32:28He has to take.
32:29And as Mr. Sumantraman said, let us see what he does with the other festivals, if he is totally secular.
32:35But it is going to be very difficult for Mr. Vijay, I think, in the days to come, to straddle over and try to be ambiguous and go.
32:43It won't wash. It won't wash.
32:45And this is the first hurdle he will face if his credibility is to carry on.
32:50He may draw crowns, but where does he stand?
32:52For all that is said, the BJP has a stand, the DMK has a stand.
32:56No, but there is still a question mark over his ideology.
32:59And what emerges really from this discussion is exactly that.
33:02That even on the issue of like a Tiruparang Kundram, we don't know.
33:06We don't know what Vijay stands for at this point.
33:09That is the challenge.
33:11Ideology aside, at least he can come forward as honest and sincere.
33:16And that is very more important than ideology.
33:19Sure, you could say so, yes.
33:20But thank you very much, gentlemen, for joining me on this broadcast.
33:24From, of course, the Christmas carnival that we saw of sorts to Tiruparang Kundram.
33:30Clearly the TV case trying to establish itself, trying to create a strategy.
33:34Whether it's worked or not, we leave it for the viewers to decide.
33:37There's still months to go for the election, of course.
33:39But speaking of Tiruparang Kundram, we've seen a lot of developments taking place.
33:43It's been the flashpoint of controversy.
33:45And again, there was a huge issue that was raised.
33:49You had, in fact, demonstrators accusing the Stalin government of double standards.
33:53Noting that the rituals and the bull-drawn chariot procession were permitted at the Dargah,
33:59right next to the temple.
34:00And that led to late-night tension at the shrine triggering a political war efforts.
34:18Madurai's Tiruparang Kundram hill shrine witnessed ten scenes over Kartikai Deepam.
34:29Protesters argued with the police after being stopped from lighting the Deepam at the ancient hilltop stone pillar,
34:35called the Deepatun, despite citing court orders.
34:43Finally, a woman lit the lamp outside the closed temple after police denied.
34:54Protesters allege double standards by Stalin government, claiming authorities allowed rituals
35:00and the bull-drawn chariot procession for the adjoining Hazrat Sultan Sikandar Badusha Dargah,
35:06while blocking Kartikai Deepam.
35:09The face-off led to late-night drama at the Holy Shrine.
35:14A war of words between the DMK and NDA has erupted over Kartikai Deepam celebrations.
35:19They want to change, they want to change the peaceful atmosphere of the state of Tamil Nadu.
35:30They want it to become a violent place where people clash on the basis of religion,
35:36which our chief minister, Mr. MK Stalin, will not allow.
35:40The evil designs, the evil intentions of the VJP, the RSS,
35:44will not be allowed to be carried out in the state of Tamil Nadu.
35:47Tiruparam Kundram issue for DMK is the only hope for Uday Nidhi to win.
35:54So they have narrowed it down in such a way, they have cleverly strategised in such a way that
35:59just by appeasing one section of the people, the prospect of Uday Nidhi winning,
36:04if he contests in Chepak, is brighter.
36:06The Madras High Court had earlier directed the lighting of the lamp,
36:11but the state government challenged the decision, citing law and order concerns.
36:15Tiruparam Kundram Rao has once again been ignited after government permits Sandhanakudu Vida at Sikandar Darga over the particular hill.
36:27However, now locals are questioning that on one side, when the lamp lighting on Deebathun was not allowed,
36:33how could the government permit this for which the government claims that this is being done as per the tradition,
36:38and the main matter is yet being contested in the court.
36:43With Irfan, Pramod Madhu for you today.
36:46Horrifying incident coming to light from Odisha of at least 18 young athletes participating in the National School Wrestling Championship in Uttar Pradesh,
37:04forced to travel in horrible, inhumane conditions due to the negligence of the State Department.
37:12This contingent of ten boys and eight girls were sent to the national level event without confirmed railway tickets.
37:18What did that mean? They had to travel sitting near the train washrooms in the biting winter cold.
37:25Serious concerns over the safety, health and dignity that was raised.
37:29And this is another reflection of our reality of how much importance we really give to our sporting heroes.
37:36Despite growing public anger and demands for answers, the department responsible here has not issued any statement, any clarification of why something like this was allowed to happen.
37:47Young boys and girls, the future of our country, who will represent our country in sporting events, are treated in this manner.
37:54With zero investment being put into sporting infrastructure, with this kind of treatment being mitted out to our sports people,
38:00to youngsters who are still looking into entering the profession, why would anyone do it? Why would they pursue their passion?
38:08This is how they were forced to travel, in the biting cold next to the washroom in the train.
38:15Let's take this across to Anirban for more details.
38:19Shocking images this Anirban and really as I said reflects the reality of how our sports people are treated.
38:24The State Department here that was responsible of ensuring adequate arrangements, of just ensuring a basic train ticket.
38:31Have they responded to this?
38:37No, not yet. We have tried to contact them but they have not responded yet.
38:42But it's a shocking thing as the government, the central government as well, is giving so many schemes for the sports
38:48and for the budding sports personalities and athletes. As we know that there is top scheme as well as there is many such schemes which was introduced already by the central government.
39:00But still, there is a question mark that though it's Odisha government and it's BJP running state.
39:07But still, we have seen that 18 children, 18 athletes from the school, those who were going to UP for the part for participation in the wrestling championship school, national wrestling championship, where there are eight girls as well.
39:25But all the 18, all of them have to travel in a general boggy as well as just beside the toilet.
39:35So it's a very shocking revolution coming in from Odisha and we have tried to contact the education department as well as the welfare department, those who handle these sports and all these kind of activities, the co-curriculum activities.
39:48But they have not responded yet. So right now the question arises as Odisha government has favoured American media sports.
39:55It's shameful at this point that this is how sports people are being treated.
39:58They are the future. Let's be very clear that these people, these boys and girls are the future.
40:03They are the ones who will represent our country going forward in sport.
40:07And this is how we are treating them. Shameful for every one of us.
40:10Listen in to what the family had to say.
40:18What the family had to say.
40:43Is this part of this thing?
40:44What?
40:45Who, what do you think.
40:50So what, do you think?
40:51Is this part of the family feeling?
40:52Where, do you think.
40:53What is your name?
40:55Do you think.
40:56How you think.
40:57How are you doing?
40:58How are you doing?
40:59How are you doing?
41:00The family feeling.
41:01I don't think.
41:02I'm sorry.
41:03How are you doing.
41:05What are you doing.
41:06It's kind of a word.
41:09I think, what are you doing.
41:12and in one seat, two, three, four, five,
41:16this was the result of the trip.
41:21People told us that the ticket cut out,
41:27is confirmed or not.
41:30When we got on the train,
41:33we told them that the ticket is confirmed.
41:37are those he'll page that we're lost every day and I'm pretty much
42:00a lucky long egg egg side may better and letting the side of men let me and let
42:08in this item a better guy yes up a video visual we have many recording kia
42:15Kerala often celebrated for its social indicators for its plural ethos for
42:20being progressive has seen the most horrifying crime a lynching the lynching
42:25of a man who was suspected to be a Bangladeshi we advise viewer discretion
42:31since the video we show you is violent in nature of a crowd questioning a man asking
42:37him if he's Bangladeshi and slapping him ultimately they beat him to death the
42:43victim hailed from Chhattisgarh he wasn't a Bangladeshi as they claimed he was he
42:48wasn't an infiltrator he was just trying to earn a living for his family far away
42:53from his home from his two children in a land where clearly he was unwelcome
42:57because he looked a certain way and he didn't speak the language he's repeatedly
43:02asked where are you from by the locals they keep grilling him and finally when
43:06he says yes when they ask him if he's Bangladeshi he slapped hard and then
43:11beat him to death how did something like this happen in Kerala and is it a red flag
43:16then that we cannot ignore is this the result of discourses of narratives filled
43:20with hate that targets people who look a certain way who belong to certain
43:24communities mind you the men behind this crime five of whom have been arrested for
43:29murder were not history sheaters or deadly criminals I can even bet you they
43:34thought they were committing an act of patriotism by targeting this man I will
43:38again say that lynchings are the worst kind of crime and in a progressive
43:41society like that of Kerala this kind of a crime is most definitely an
43:45aberration but not something that can be taken lightly and we will in fact get you
43:57all those updates or on that story five people have been taken into custody so
44:02far I'm wrapping up this edition of super six thanks for tuning
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