BJP attacks DMK govt over Murugan meet

THe Bharatiya Janata company (BJP) on lord's day said that the DMK authorities is trying to embarrass the Murugan group discussion, organised by the right wing outfit Hindu Munnai, though the Madras high court gave its permission for the meeting to be held on June 22. The Muruga Bakthargalin Aanmeega Maanadu (Spiritual conference of devotees of Murugan) is embroiled in controversy, with the Tamil Nadu police imposing several conditions, including restricting the 11-day programme to three days. On June 8, Union home minister Amit Shah, invited public to the event — BJP’s second round of outreach in Tamil Nadu using the Tamil deity Lord Murugan after a similar attempt ahead of the 2021 assembly elections. This also comes a year after the DMK, known to have been established with rationalist tenets, also organised a conference for Lord Murugan last year. On June 13, the Madurai bench of the Madras high court granted permission for the event but asked the Hindu Munnani, to comply with the conditions laid down by the police in Madurai district where the event will take place. On Sunday at a press conference, state BJP president Nainar Nagendran said that chief minister MK Stalin and minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Sekar Babu have been creating obstructions. “The DMK is heading towards losing so they are scared. It is not right that they are giving us so much trouble. But, the high court has given us permission with conditions and we will conduct the Murugan conference accordingly,” Nagendran said. Tamil Nadu faces its next assembly elections in 2026.The police have maintained in court that their objection is based on crowd management to avoid a stampede-like situation like in Bengaluru after the victory parade for IPL champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The conference will see the recital of Kandha Shashti Kavasam for Lord Murugan. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and Andhra Pradesh deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan, might get invited to participate, a BJP leader said on condition of anonymity. Shah in his speech a week ago drew in Lord Murugan over the Thiruparankunram issue. Earlier in February, there was tension at a temple (one of the six abodes of Lord Murugan) in Thiruparankundram near Madurai after members of Hindu Munnani held a protest against a demand by a few Muslim organisations to rename the hillock, which is also home to a dargah as Sikander malai (hillock). At the time, the residents belonging to the Hindu and Muslim communities said that they have coexisted peacefully for generations. But Shah said that the DMK had insulted Hindu worshippers here.Last August, DMK government organised a two-day conference on Lord Murugan as part of its efforts to oppose the BJP painting them as anti-Hindu and to manage the fallout of deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s controversial remarks against Sanatana Dharma. But since it was a far cry from the party’s rationalist beginnings, the DMK came under attack by its ideological fount, the Dravida Kazhagam (DK). Even DMK’s allies, the Viduthalai Chirutaigal Katchi (VCK), CPI, CPI (M) had kept a distance from the conference which had passed resolutions including school students to sing Hindu religious hymn sung in praise of Lord Murugan “Kandha Shashti Kavasam” in temples during religious events, organising competitions on devotional literature involving Lord Murugan in schools and colleges run by temples managed by HR&CE department, and including learnings of Murugan as part of the college curriculum. But, the DMK had then argued that it was within its linguistic politics with Lord Murugan being a celebrated household name in Tamil Nadu, cutting across caste lines and popular among the Tamil diaspora outside India. By drawing in on the Tamil deity, the BJP too is trying to shed its image that it’s a party of the Hindi belt. The vetri vel yatra (victorious spear held by Lord Murugan) was launched by then president of the BJP state unit L Murugan trying to appropriate the significance of the deity before the assembly elections 2021. Though the yatra received a tepid response, it became the talking point as the then state government, led by BJP’s ally the AIADMK, denied permission for the yatra. BJP leaders defied orders and courted arrest as they carried on with the yatra for three weeks across Tamil Nadu. Later, “Vetrivel, Veeravel” became the BJP’s war cry during the election campaign. BJP national leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Shah began their rallies by raising the slogan.A DMK leader who did not wish to be named said that police have denied permission even to their own allies such as the VCK from organising events that lead to large crowds. “The conditions are only for crowd management. The BJP can organise as many conferences as they want for Gods but they will not be able to attract the Tamil voters,” the DMK leader said.