Thursday, May 16

Tamil Nadu BJP Chief K Annamalai Stirs Fresh Row Over Remark On Periyar Statues

Edited by Meenu Mathew
Tamil Nadu BJP Chief K Annamalai Stirs Fresh Row Over Remark On Periyar StatuesTamil Nadu BJP Chief K Annamalai Stirs Fresh Row Over Remark On Periyar Statues (Image:Twitter/KAnnamalai)

The Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief K Annamalai recently sparked a new controversy in the state after a remark on the statues of ‘Periyar’. On Tuesday, during a rally in Srirangam, Mr Annamali stated that, his party will remove all the statues of Periyar – which are placed outside the temples of Tamil Nadu – if came into power. The rally was held at a venue, between Sri Ranganathaswamy temple and the Periyar statue.

Periyar or Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy is the revered ‘Father of Dravidian Movement’, who rebelled against Brahminical dominance and gender and caste inequality in the state. The BJP chief also declared an abolishment of Tamil Nadu’s department of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) which administers close to 50,000 temples in the state.

“As soon as the BJP comes to power in Tamil Nadu, the first signature would be to remove the statues of the person (Periyar), who said there is no God and those who worship God are fools, that are erected in front of temples across the state,” said Mr Annamalai in Srirangam. He added that the statues will be replaced with those of saint Thiruvalluvar and other freedom fighters of the state.

He also referred the flag of Dravidar Kazhagam (DK) – the social movement founded by EV Ramasami and is the ideological parent of the DMK and AIADMK – which was raised in front of the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple along with the statue in 1967. “The second BJP comes to power, we will remove all these flag posts, notice boards, and statues in front of all the temples,” Mr Annamalai said.

“The first day of the BJP government will be the last day of the HR&CE department in the state”, he added by stating that the Tamil Nadu government’s Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) which administers close to 50,000 temples in the state, will be abolished if BJP came into power.

Shortly after Mr Annamalai’s comments went out, the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and opposition AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) expressed their sharp reactions and criticism against the BJP leader. AIADMK was previously an ally to BJP and broke their ties in September after a row over comments by Mr Annamalai against veterans CN Annadurai and J Jayalalithaa.

“The sun which rises in the East may even rise in the West but the BJP can never come to power in Tamil Nadu”, Hindustan Times quoted HR & CE minister Sekar Babu on Wednesday. “The people of Tamil Nadu will never give an opportunity to govern for a person like Annamalai…Because the DMK is welcoming to those who follow Hinduism and atheism, they (BJP) are unable to do anything”, he added.