Chennai: The BJP chose the Independence Day celebrations to target the TNCC, which has been functioning without a president for nearly two months.
Taking a dig at the Congress, Union Minister of State for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan said the Congress that ruled the country for about 60 years “seems to be struggling in appointing a leader.”
“The party here is without a leader to hoist the national flag. This shows how much they love the country,” Mr. Radhakrishnan sarcastically remarked. He had come to know through media reports that the Congress party headquarters has become a “parking lot.”
It may be recalled that after E.V.K.S. Elangovan stepped down from the post of TNCC chief, no new president has been nominated and for the first time the Congress had to celebrate the Independence Day on Monday without a new chief to preside over the celebrations.
BJP hoists tricolour, despite protest:
The BJP created a flutter by hoisting the national Tricolour at Ganesapuram in Pulianthope in North Chennai here on Monday amidst an allegation that the party was attempting to hoist the national flag atop the BJP’s flagpole.
Party sources claimed the police initially denied them permission to hoist the national flag claiming that the “saffron” coloured flagpole erected by the party about 20 feet away from a Prayar Hall and also TMMK office was opposed by the minorities.
“When we confronted the police, the latter claimed the minorities objected to the saffron coloured flagpole erected at Ganesapuram. My partymen assured to paint the pole white but the police removed it. None of the Christians or Muslim in the vicinity had protested,” claimed BJP state president Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan.
“In fact, the minorities had been very cordial. I had distributed sweets to them as well… they had even joined me for a photo session later on,” Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan who rushed to Pulianthope and hoisted the flag, said. Blaming the police for denying the permission initially, she said, she told the police that “they were sending a wrong message that the Indian flag could not be hoisted at certain pockets.”
When contacted the police said they had denied permission for hoisting the national flag apprehending trouble in the “communally sensitive” area.
