CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu’s BJP leadership has sharply rebuked the Congress and DMK alliance for what it calls ‘nation-harming conduct’ in organizing Chennai protests over the reported demise of Iran’s top cleric Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in late February US-Israel strikes.
Wednesday’s statement from spokesperson ANS Prasad framed the March 1-2 rallies as evidence of a dangerous political ploy that disregards India’s core interests. ‘This is hypocrisy at its peak,’ he charged.
Particularly alarming was the march towards the US Consulate amid PM Narendra Modi’s state visit, which Prasad flagged as a threat to public safety and diplomatic norms. ‘These provocations risk our global credibility,’ he warned.
Extending the critique, Prasad targeted Congress figures like Sonia and Rahul Gandhi for publicly challenging New Delhi’s West Asia approach, deeming it untimely and factional.
In sensitive times, when evacuating and protecting Indian nationals is paramount, such rhetoric fragments solidarity, he argued. Meanwhile, the Modi administration’s response—immediate leader-level engagements with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan—demonstrates effective crisis management.
This clash reveals fault lines in Indian politics, where international crises become tools for local point-scoring. The BJP’s firm stance aims to rally support around a unified foreign policy vision.