BJP’s attempt to stoke communal tensions fails, Lord Murugan not on their side: TN Minister

Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Minister PK Sekarbabu on Saturday said the Bharatiya Janata Party’s attempt to incite communal hatred through the Deepam issue at Thiruparankundram had failed miserably, adding that even Lord Murugan, the presiding deity of the temple, was not on their side.

Addressing the media, Sekarbabu said that despite repeated efforts by the BJP to create communal divisions, their plans had not succeeded. “With Chief Minister M.K. Stalin at the helm, no attempt to divide people on communal lines will succeed. The BJP’s effort to politicise the Deepam issue has completely failed. Even Lord Murugan does not seem to be in their favour,” he said.

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Earlier this month, the BJP and organisations affiliated with the RSS had demanded that the Deepam be lit at a disputed stone pillar located near a dargah atop the Thiruparankundram hill. At the foothills of the same hill stands the renowned Murugan temple. Citing an order of a single judge of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, BJP leaders attempted to proceed to the hilltop to light the Deepam. However, the police stopped them, citing potential law and order issues.

Subsequently, the temple authorities lit the Deepam at its traditional location near the Uchipillaiyar temple on the hill. Following this, officials concerned are now facing contempt proceedings. The state government has also appealed against the single judge’s order, stating that it runs contrary to earlier directions issued by a Division Bench of the High Court.

Responding to BJP leader H. Raja’s statement that temples would be freed from the control of the HR&CE Department and handed over to devotees once the BJP comes to power, Sekarbabu said sarcastically, “Let him first contest an election and win. Instead of making such baseless claims for publicity, he should prove his strength by contesting and winning from any constituency in Chennai.”

Earlier, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had also strongly criticised the BJP, accusing it of deliberately attempting to fuel communal tensions. He asserted that the saffron party would not succeed in disturbing the harmony among people living in unity. “As long as the Dravidian Model government is in power, your attempts to incite communal violence will fail. No matter how much drama you stage, your ambitions will remain unfulfilled,” the Chief Minister had said.