R Varadarajan, a retired police officer, advocate, founder of Nethaji Pasumpon Thirumaganar Munnetra Kazhagam (NPTMK), and a YouTuber, has taken to task DMK and VCK leaders for what he perceives as their lack of understanding and double standards on Article 370 and historical events involving Sardar Patel and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
Varadarajan, in a YouTube video, criticised VCK leader Thol. Thirumavalavan for his comments on Article 370, stating that Thirumavalavan’s remarks lacked understanding and accused him of misusing Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s name for political gains. He urged Thirumavalavan to study the historical context of Article 370 before making statements.
Regarding the historical events, Varadarajan highlighted the betrayal he believes Mahatma Gandhi perpetrated against Sardar Patel during the Congress party’s decision on the Prime Ministerial candidate. He claimed that Gandhi favoured Jawaharlal Nehru over Patel, despite the majority support Patel received from Pradesh Congress Committees.
Varadarajan also accused Gandhi of betraying Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose during the Congress presidency elections, where Netaji won but was eventually persuaded to step aside in favor of Gandhi’s preferred candidate. He mentioned that Gandhi later asked all Executive Council members to resign, leading to Netaji leaving the Congress.
Turning to contemporary events, Varadarajan criticised Farooq Abdullah for attributing the introduction of Article 370 to Sardar Patel, emphasizing that it was Dr. B.R. Ambedkar who opposed the article. He urged leaders like Thirumavalavan to study the subsections of Article 370 and understand its implications.
Varadarajan praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for using the subsections added by Ambedkar to abolish Article 370, a move that was upheld by the Supreme Court. He commended Modi for having the courage to use the legal provisions to benefit the nation.
Varadarajan’s critique focused on what he perceived as historical distortions, betrayals by Mahatma Gandhi, and the lack of understanding exhibited by contemporary political leaders on key issues like Article 370. His remarks come at a time when political narratives and historical interpretations are under scrutiny in Tamil Nadu, particularly with upcoming state Assembly elections.
