Chennai: The DMK, which owes its raison d’etre to its opposition to Brahmin hegemony, has for the first time in its 75-year-old history, appointed a member of the Brahmin community to a party organisational post.
DMK general secretary Duraimurugan, in an announcement in the party mouthpiece Murasoli on Friday announced that V Maitreyan, former Rajya Sabha MP, who had made his political debut in the BJP, was being appointed vice president of the DMK educationists’ wing.
Maitreyan had joined the DMK just three months ago. An oncologist by qualification, Maitreyan was once the BJP’s state vice president. He had later joined the AIADMK, where Jayalalithaa nominated him to the Rajya Sabha and he had gone on to be the party’s face on English television channels. After Jayalalithaa’s death in 2016, he had taken sides with the rebel leader O Panneerselvam. Subsequently, he rejoined the BJP only to return to the AIADMK under the leadership of former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami. Later, he switched over to the DMK in August.
“This is the first time the DMK has appointed a person to its organisation post. Clearly, DMK leader and Chief Minister M K Stalin is on an outreach to the Brahmins also. He perhaps wants to convey the message that the DMK is not against Brahmins but against what it calls Brahminism,” said political observer Mani.
