Quickly after the NIA raids, not solely at Duraimurugan’s residence but in addition on premises linked to different NTK functionaries, the get together moved the Madras Excessive Courtroom. In its petition, the NTK claimed that the raids have been “politically motivated”, completed with a “view to arm-twist the party to create a sense of fear among the cadres”.
Duraimurugan, the 36-year-old propaganda secretary of the NTK, identified for his YouTube channel ‘Saattai’ (whip), repeated the allegation to ThePrint. He additionally claimed that each the Bharatiya Janata Get together (BJP) and the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) have been regularly concentrating on his get together due to its political development.
“NTK and I have never said or written about using arms as a means in our political fight,” he instructed ThePrint. “We’re a party that was formed to democratically fight for Tamil, Tamilians, our culture, literature, etc,” Duraimurugan mentioned.
ThePrint reached BJP and DMK spokespersons by way of calls and texts for his or her response to Duraimurugan’s allegation. This report might be up to date if and after they reply.
Regardless of Duraimurugan’s claims, nonetheless, NTK is thought to have regularly run into hassle within the state, antagonising each the ruling DMK and the BJP with provocative speeches.
Duraimurugan himself faces as many as 11 FIRs, with fees starting from rioting and selling disharmony to felony intimidation.
On its half, L. Murugan, a BJP chief and the Union Minister of State for Info and Broadcasting within the Narendra Modi-led Nationwide Democratic Alliance (NDA) mentioned that the raids have been performed “only after confirming that their activities were against the interest of the country”.
“The action shows that NTK was indulging in anti-national activities,” he instructed the media on the sidelines of a celebration assembly in Coimbatore Sunday.
In response to political observers, NIA’s motion poses a “genuine challenge” to the get together, which projected itself as an alternative choice to the 2 primary Tamil events — the DMK and the rival All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).
“They (the NTK) have separatist and extremist views on issues and it makes it a valid investigation by the NIA to rule out doubts,” political analyst J.V.C. Sreeram instructed ThePrint.
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From founding to 2021 polls — NTK’s development
Seeman, identified for Tamil motion pictures corresponding to Panchalankurichi (1996) and Thambi (2006), launched the NTK in 2010, mainly in response to the Sri Lankan civil battle, which ended the 12 months earlier than and which is estimated to have killed 100,000 civilians, lots of them Tamil.
The filmmaker sees the NIA raids as a strategy to “threaten” the NTK. ”They ask whether or not we ship cash to LTTE. For a very long time, that they had been saying that I had been receiving cash from LTTE… now they’re saying this. (Authorities) solely has been saying that LTTE is non-existent. Then how can we ship cash to them?” he instructed the media after the raids.
In response to analysts, the NTK has seen a marked development within the state when it comes to vote share, though it has but to win a single seat. Within the 2016 Tamil Nadu meeting polls, when the get together made its electoral debut, it polled 1.1 % votes. This went as much as 3.9 % throughout the 2019 basic election.
By 2021 meeting polls, NTK’s vote share had grown to six.6 % — the third largest after DMK (38 %) and AIAMDK (33 %).
The get together is usually the default alternative for the individuals who haven’t determined whom to vote for, or who would have in any other case opted for NOTA, analyst Sreeram instructed ThePrint.
“Although from the outside, a party like NTK looks like it has no relevance, on the ground, you find that there is a lot of support for it,” he mentioned. “It is probably not getting translated into votes, but there is unbelievable traction for the party.”
Who’s Duraimurugan
YouTuber Duraimurugan claims to subscribe to the Dravidian ideology of the Dravidar Kazhagam — a social motion by E.V. Ramaswamy ‘Periyar’ that has sprung up events just like the DMK and the AIADMK.
It was in 2009 — on the top of the Sri Lankan battle — that Duraimurugan, then a medical consultant, first started to really feel drawn to Seeman’s ideology. By then, the filmmaker had even courted arrest for one among his extra fiery speeches in favour of the LTTE.
“There was a lot of anger against the then central government and the then ruling DMK government in the state for their inaction during the Sri Lanka Tamil issue. I had heard a stage speech by Seeman in which he was talking about forming a government in TN that focuses on the Tamil language, ethnicity, culture, etc. When the party was formed, I wanted to associate myself with him,” Duraimurguan mentioned.
At this time, his YouTube channel Saatai has 1.2 million subscribers and is thought for its controversial movies. Because the NTK’s propaganda secretary, he makes use of his channel to assault the ruling institution, the DMK.
“Social media has become a big platform with a huge impact. We are telling the people about the government’s corruption, about the issues in the schemes, and (also conveying the message that) all those who are talking against the DMK are all being arrested and made to remain silent,” he mentioned. “Cases are filed against whoever is against the DMK with the intent to silence them.”
Accused of rioting, selling disharmony and felony intimidation, amongst different fees, Duraimurugan has 11 FIRs in opposition to him.
The primary case in opposition to the YouTuber was filed in 2018 over a scuffle that he and his get together had with the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) — a celebration based by former DMK chief Vaiko. Seeman, Duraimurugan, and 14 others have been booked for rioting, illegal meeting, and assaulting a public servant, amongst different provisions.
In June 2021, Duraimurugan was arrested for allegedly threatening and abusing a person in his hometown Trichy. Months later, he was booked for heckling Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.Okay. Stalin and his father, the late DMK patriarch Karunanidhi, in a controversial speech that additionally contained references to the 1991 assassination of former PM Rajiv Gandhi in an LTTE suicide bombing in Sriperumbudur.
“You (Stalin) might have learnt from Karunanidhi and Annadurai but we learnt from our leader Prabhakaran (former LTTE commander). Children of Periyar and Annadurai might know how to speak and write, but Congress party men know what the children of Prabhakaran know, Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi know,” he mentioned.
In response to Duraimurugan, NTK’s development and its strident opposition to each the DMK and the BJP have made it — and him — a goal of each events.
“We are a party without any big financial background, without any big political advisors like Prashant Kishor or Sunil Kanugolu,” he mentioned. “We have been going directly to the people, not by giving money for rallies, meetings, or votes. These cases and raids are done to create the perception that NTK leaders are derogatory speakers and hope that the supporters we have will lose faith in us.”
In a press release after final week’s raids, NIA claimed it had recovered one laptop computer, seven mobiles, eight SIM/reminiscence playing cards, 4 pen drives, and a few “incriminating documents”. It additionally discovered books on LTTE and its chief slain chief, Prabhakaran, the assertion mentioned.
“Both books were purchased from a book fair in the state in 2021. They are not banned books either,” he mentioned.
(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)
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