Chennai, June 23 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Minister P.K. Sekarbabu launched a sharp attack on the AIADMK on Monday, accusing the opposition party of betraying Dravidian values by participating in the Murugan Bhakti Manadu, a spiritual conference organised by Hindu Munnani and affiliated groups.
Labelling the Sunday event as a “political gathering disguised as a religious conference”, the minister alleged that the AIADMK’s presence at the event revealed its complete submission to the BJP and its ideological allies.
“By attending this event, the AIADMK leadership has executed a charter of slavery to the BJP,” Sekarbabu told reporters here.
Referring to AIADMK leaders R.B. Udhayakumar, Sellur K. Raju, and three others who took part in the conference, Sekarbabu questioned their decision to share the dais with BJP leaders like K. Annamalai and H. Raja – both known for their repeated criticism of iconic Dravidian leaders.
“Annamalai has spoken with disdain about former Chief Ministers C.N. Annadurai and J. Jayalalithaa. H. Raja has openly pledged to destroy Dravidianism. How could AIADMK leaders attend an event alongside such individuals? Their actions speak louder than words,” he said.
The minister dismissed the Murugan Manadu as a politically motivated attempt to subvert Tamil Nadu’s Dravidian ethos under the garb of religious fervour.
“For us, spirituality and politics are not the same. Our Chief Minister M.K. Stalin stands firm on this principle, and the DMK will continue to uphold this separation,” he asserted.
Responding strongly to one of the resolutions passed at the conference – which demanded that temples be taken out of HR&CE control and handed over to Hindu organisations, Sekarbabu said: “What do they expect? That the temples be given to BJP functionaries? Such ideas are dangerous and must be nipped in the bud.”
He reminded critics that the HR&CE department was formed after repeated court rulings in response to mismanagement by hereditary trustees who often treated temples as personal profit centres.
“The 1959 HR&CE Act was introduced to protect temple assets from being looted. Those calling for dismantling this system display ignorance of both history and law,” he added.
Sekarbabu also invoked the words of former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi from the iconic Tamil film “Parasakthi”: “We are not against temples, but they should not become havens for dacoits.” He warned that reactionary forces were now trying to undo the very reforms that had shielded temple institutions from corruption and misuse.
“Those trying to reverse the social justice revolution initiated by the Dravidian movement must be firmly resisted,” the minister said.
–IANS
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