BJP becoming focal point in Tamil Nadu politics: Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan

The BJP is becoming the focal point in Tamil Nadu politics as all political parties were either criticising or appreciating it, Union Minister of State for Finance, Pon Radhakrishnan said Saturday.

Noting that a situation has arisen wherein the BJP has become the 'focal point' in the present politics of Tamil Nadu, he told reporters here that the AIADMK was claiming that BJP was behind the DMK and the latter accused his party of operating the ruling AIADMK.

BJP has become the talking point for all political parties either to criticise or appreciate, he said while responding to a query on the allegations levelled by DMK Chief M K Stalin that the saffron party was behind the recent protest meet organised by AIADMK.

The AIADMK had sought an international probe against DMK and ally Congress for "war crimes" against Tamils in the 2009 Sri Lankan civil conflict when UPA was in power, during the state-wide protests it had staged over the issue on September 25.

On the charges levelled against the Centre over the Rafale deal, the Union Minister said it was the reflection of rising election fever ahead of the coming Lok Sabha polls.

On the Supreme Court verdict on Sabarimala issue, Radhakrishnan said reports reaching him suggested that devotees were 'shellshocked' after the judgement, since they were in favour of the continuation of tradition followed all these years.

Asked about the Centre's stand on the SC ruling, he said there was no role for the central government in the matter as it was the state government that had to take steps to implement it.

A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra by a 4:1 verdict had lifted the ban on entry of women of menstrual age into the shrine, saying it amounted to gender discrimination and violated rights of Hindu women.

(PTI)