Is DMK softening stance on TN governor

Karur: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) cadres who have been unfailing in recent months to show black flags to the State Governor, Banwarilal Purohit, whenever he visited the districts and held review meetings with officials, on Friday appeared to have made peace with him, as its party cadres refrained from any protest action during Mr. Purohit's visit to Karur. 

Though the Governor was in the famous handloom town west of Tiruchy to primarily attend an NGO function, there was not even a murmur of protest by the local DMK cadres in the backdrop of Mr. Purohit “reviewing overall development activities of Karur district”.  

The Governor is learnt to have sought details of various departmental activities in the presence of the Karur collector, Mr. T. Anbazhagan. 

This has fueled speculations in political circles that the DMK has begun to make peace with the Governor, what with the raids by central agencies and charges against ruling AIADMK ministers mounting by the day, giving the impression that the new DMK President, Mr. M K Stalin is beginning to be indulgent towards the Governor as political winds are against the AIADMK. 

The opposition DMK, which has been vociferously protesting his visits to the districts at the drop of a hat, did not show any black flags today to the Governor here. One reason cited was the party's Karur district secretary, Nanniyur Raje-ndran, was at Chennai to attend the DMK's district secretaries meeting slated for Saturday. 

Sources in the DMK also told DC that since there was “no official review meeting”, the party did not take any initiative to stage black flag demonstration against the Governor in Karur today. Nonetheless, political observers feel that since the DMK was now getting closer to the BJP in recent days, it did not wish to embarrass the Governor with any stir.