Parliament's debate on the recent Pahalgam terror attack took a sharp political and cultural turn on Tuesday as DMK MP Kanimozhi invoked the legacy of the Chola empire, accusing the BJP of exploiting Tamil heritage for electoral gains. During the Lok Sabha discussion on Operation Sindoor, the Centre’s counter-terror initiative, Kanimozhi said that it was only before every election that the central government discovers Tamil culture .
Referring to the military conquests of Emperor Rajendra Chola I, Kanimozhi declared that Tamilians “will always win” and called on the House to remember Gangaikondacholan, the king who extended his empire to the Ganges and built Gangaikondacholapuram, as per a report on NDTV. Her remarks followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Tamil Nadu, where he paid tribute to Rajendra Chola’s Southeast Asian maritime expeditions—an act many see as a politically timed gesture to woo Tamil voters.
Kanimozhi Questioned Centre's Handling Of National Security
The DMK MP didn’t stop at cultural criticism. She launched a scathing attack on the Modi government’s handling of national security, alleging that the Centre failed to draw lessons from past terror incidents and continues to exclude the Opposition from critical briefings.
Addressing the government's diplomatic outreach under Operation Sindoor, Kanimozhi expressed “mixed feelings” over the inclusion of Opposition leaders in global delegations, calling it a welcome move but born out of problematic circumstances. Taking a pointed dig, she said, as per ANI, "We had to go on these delegations (MPs delegation on Operation Sindoor global outreach) because peace had failed us, and you (central govt) had failed the people of India..."
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