Karur: Averring that the 'issue' over incorrect references to GST and Digital India in Mersal was over, BJP state president Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan indicated that it was time for her party to move on to address several other crucial issues before it. “As far as the BJP is concerned the Mersal film issue has been resolved amicably,” she said on Tuesday.
The BJP had demanded that the GST dialogues in Mersal be removed. The Vijay-starrer invoked the ire of the party for making references to the Centre's schemes. Besides her, the Union minister of state for finance and shipping Pon Radhakrishnan had also opposed the film. The party's national secretary H. Raja attempted to give a communal colour to the actor.
Dr Tamilisai turned her attention to the threat calls she had received on phone after she criticised VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan over the Mersal film controversy, and said that she was not afraid of any threats.
“I am not afraid of phone threats. I have evidence on who called and abused me…I can face the challenges,” she said and cautioned them not to hide behind social networking sites.
She told reporters here that the party's general council would take a call on contesting in the RK Nagar assembly byelection.
Earlier, addressing the party's state executive meeting underway here on Tuesday, Dr Tamilisai pointed out that the BJP was ready to face the changing political atmosphere. Taking a dig at DMK working president M. K. Stalin's proposed Namakku Name padayatra, she said that his padayatra may deny him sleep but his dreams of becoming Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu would not be realised. “It will be the BJP that will rule the state, as the people are getting ready to send the Dravidian parties packing home,” she said.
Mr Radhakrishnan, Rajya Sabha MP L. Ganesan, H. Raja, Coir Board chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan and others spoke. Earlier, Leema Sivakumar, secretary of the Tiruchy East District PMK who quit that party joined the BJP.
A resolution passed in the meeting decided to hold agitations to urge the Tamil Nadu Government to implement the Usurer Prevention Act in toto. Another welcomed the direction of the Madurai bench of the Madras high court on opening Navodaya schools in TN.
BJP and VCK members clash
Tension prevailed for a while when a group of BJP men and VCK members clashed in front of a wedding hall, where the BJP's state executive meet was in progress. Police said that the trouble started when some VCK volunteers attempted to stage an agitation in front of the venue to protest against DrTamilisai for criticising VCK chief Thol.Thirumavalavan.
However police secured all the VCK men. A pitched battle was witnessed when a group of BJP activists rushed out of the hall, forcibly pulled out VCK men from the police vehicles and started beating them. In the process, they damaged the windscreen of the police vehicle. The BJP men resorted to a road roko demanding action against VCK cadres. Police pacified the BJP members and restored normalcy. Four VCK men were arrested.
