On Sunday, BJP’s state leadership decried the surge in extremist operations and undocumented migrants, warning that the southern state is morphing into a radical hotspot. Nainar Nagendran, BJP Tamil Nadu president, didn’t mince words: under DMK, the state is turning into a sanctuary for extremists.

Citing the Delhi Police bust in Tiruppur that nabbed six Bangladeshis linked to Pakistani terror networks—caught sharing propaganda online—Nagendran slammed local law enforcement. Frequent raids in key industrial belts like Tiruppur and Coimbatore expose systemic weaknesses, he said.

Central interventions by NIA and out-of-state police forces in Tamil Nadu operations reveal the DMK’s inadequate preparedness on security fronts, according to BJP. Nagendran linked this to DMK’s anti-Centre stance, which he claims jeopardizes citizens’ safety.

‘DMK must abandon vote-bank politics that flirts with danger. In its final phase, the government should root out hidden terror cells,’ he demanded. K. Annamalai, ex-state BJP chief, piled on, describing Tamil Nadu’s transformation from a haven of peace to a criminals’ paradise riddled with terrorists, smugglers, and thugs.

He ripped into administrative mismanagement, where top bureaucrats are relegated to contractor bidding duties. The DMK’s silence on core issues to placate supporters speaks volumes, Annamalai contended. No rebuttal has come from the ruling party yet.

As accusations fly, Tamil Nadu faces a pivotal moment. BJP’s narrative of security neglect could sway public opinion, pressuring DMK to bolster policing and intelligence. The absence of a swift response risks amplifying opposition voices, potentially altering the state’s security discourse and electoral dynamics.

Spokesman A.N.S. Prasad didn’t mince words: ‘Law enforcement must rise above bias and grant permissions as per the rulebook.’ He pressed for autonomy in police operations, insisting that higher-ups prioritize citizens’ fundamental rights to assemble and speak freely.

Under Nainar Nagendran’s stewardship, with strategic inputs from K. Annamalai, the campaign launched February 17 with star power. Central ministers L. Murugan, Pon Radhakrishnan, and others joined local leaders to launch sessions covering multiple booth areas, inclusive of NDA partners.

The meetings aim to spotlight DMK failures: corruption scandals, family-centric power plays, surging narcotics issues, broken election pledges, and mounting economic strains. BJP frames this as a voter awakening drive against governance lapses.

Local BJP functionaries recount a pattern of obstruction since day one – permissions withheld indefinitely, rejections without cause, and reported pressures to abandon plans. Chief Minister Stalin’s Kolathur constituency emerges as a flashpoint, where alleged interference has been most pronounced.

Seeking high-level redress, the party has appealed to top bureaucrats including the DGP and Chennai Police Commissioner, plus district heads. A special plea to Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik calls for vigilant monitoring at grassroots levels to ensure level playing fields.

BJP vows disciplined, low-key events focused on awareness, expressing confidence in NDA’s growing appeal. As tensions simmer, this saga underscores deepening rifts in Tamil Nadu’s polarized politics, with elections on the horizon.

Prasad highlighted Vijay’s provocative query during a Salem gathering—could modern politics allow a solo rise akin to MGR or Annadurai? Labeling it naive, he suggested Vijay underestimates the hard yards required in realpolitik.

He reiterated BJP state chief Nainar Nagendran’s counsel for Vijay to ditch filmi drama and focus on public grievances through active fieldwork. What was meant as brotherly advice, Prasad noted, was mischievously misconstrued by DMK allies and biased media.

Delving into history, Prasad recalled the heartbreaking loss of 41 Vijay fans in an incident, probing why no relentless campaign for accountability followed. Vijay’s initial finger-pointing at Stalin’s administration, followed by a retreat, fuels suspicions of tactical retreat, he charged.

Amid swelling anti-DMK sentiment, TVK’s timing smells of a ploy to scatter alliance votes, Prasad alleged, contrasting it with the organic mass movements of MGR and Jayalalithaa rooted in prolonged community service.

Prasad urged voters to pierce the veil of political agendas as polls near. The escalating war of words signals a fiercely contested electoral arena in Tamil Nadu, where alliances and divisions will define the outcome.

Nadda, who is the Union Minister for Health, Chemicals and Fertilisers, is in the city to participate in the sixth international conference on Saiva Siddhanta being held under the auspices of the Dharmapuram Adheenam at the SRM Institute of Science & Technology, here.

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