Pon Radhakrishnan: Difference between revisions

Pon. Radhakrishnan participated in a BJP rally in support of [[Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019]] in Nagercoil in March 2020 where he spoke of chasing away [[Christian priest]]s from the district. Many demanded that action be taken against Pon. Radhakrishnan for his communal speech which can incite violence.<ref>{{Cite web|title="அவர்களை ஓடஓட விரட்டியடிக்க வேண்டும்" - வன்முறையைத் தூண்டும் வகையில் பொன்.ராதாகிருஷ்ணன் திமிர் பேச்சு!|url=https://www.kalaignarseithigal.com/tamilnadu/2020/03/02/bjp-leader-pon-radhakrishnan-hate-speech-inciting-violence-against-christian|access-date=2021-07-27|website=www.kalaignarseithigal.com|language=en}}</ref> Police complaints were also filed against him.<ref>{{Citation|title=Christians political party police complaints against Pon Radhakrishnan Tamil news|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BJszzX9kFw|language=en|access-date=2021-07-27}}</ref>

Radhakrishnan in 2019 asked Tamil people to study [[Hindi]] and [[Sanskrit]]. He said that could not learn Sanskrit for various reasons and that he was ashamed of it. He also said that Sanskrit and [[Tamil language|Tamil]] are equal.<ref>https://tamil.oneindia.com/news/tamilnadu/minister-pon-radhakrishnan-asks-tamils-learn-hindi-sanskri-235611.html</ref> He also urged parents to let their children to learn Sanskrit.<ref>https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2014/aug/17/Let-Your-Kids-learn-Sanskrit-Radhakrishnan-648674.html</ref>

Fishermen in Kanniyakumari claimed that around 40,000 - 45,000 fishermen votes in the 48 coastal hamlets in Kanyakumari Lok Sabha constituency was deliberately removed from the electoral-list out of fear that the fishermen would vote against the lone BJP Union minister, Pon Radhakrishnan, contesting in the constituency during the 2019 Lok sabha elections.<ref>{{Cite web|title=In Kanyakumari, Christian fisherfolk suspect foul play in mass deletion of voters' names, cite opposition to Sagarmala as reason Elections on the GO, Firstpost|url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/in-kanyakumari-christian-fisherfolk-suspect-foul-play-in-mass-deletion-of-voters-names-cite-opposition-to-sagarmala-as-reason-6676181.html|website=Firstpost|access-date=2020-05-30}}</ref> The coastal fishermen also complained that votes of inland fishermen in another 68 villages also have been removed purposely. They also alleged that their names were removed only a few days before the day of polling.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Fisherfolk fume over many names deleted from the voters list in Kanyakumari {{!}} Madurai News - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/madurai/fisherfolk-fume-over-many-names-deleted-from-the-voters-list-in-kanyakumari/articleshow/68961193.cms|last=Apr 19|first=tnn {{!}}|last2=2019|website=The Times of India|language=en|access-date=2020-05-30|last3=Ist|first3=04:22}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Over 37,000 names deleted from voters list, say Kanniyakumari fishers|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/230419/over-37000-names-deleted-from-voters-list-say-kanniyakumari-fishers.html|last=ARULOLI|first=M.|date=2019-04-23|website=Deccan Chronicle|language=en|access-date=2020-05-30}}</ref>

In September 2019, Radhakrishnan created a controversy after calling Tamil people as 'ungrateful'.He explained that the Tamil people failed to celebrate Modi after he praised the Tamil language. Later he claimed that he did not call all Tamils as ungrateful and only those doing politics with the language.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tamils are ungrateful people: Former BJP minister|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/tamils-are-ungrateful-people-former-bjp-minister-761883.html|date=2019-09-17|website=Deccan Herald|language=en|access-date=2020-05-30}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/bjp-s-pon-radhakrishnan-calls-tamils-ungrateful-gets-slammed-109039|website=www.thenewsminute.com|access-date=2020-05-30}}</ref>