Not religion, only BJP alliance under threat in Tamil Nadu: Stalin
Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin on Thursday said that religion was not under threat in the state and 'the only thing under threat in this state is the BJP alliance'. Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin on Thursday said that religion was not under threat in the state and 'the only thing under threat in this state is the BJP alliance' (File photo)
Stalin was referring to the conference held for the devotees of Lord Murugan on June 22 by right wing group Hindu Munnani, with the backing of the BJP. The event generated controversy owing to the display of videos criticising Dravidian stalwarts EV Ramaswamy Periyar and CN Annadurai,
'They do not know how to gain votes in Tamil Nadu, so they continue to divide people on the basis of religion and caste. But the people of Tamil Nadu will not fall for the BJP's fake devotion drama,' said Stalin without directly naming the event.
'Religion is not under threat here, as they claim. The only thing under threat in this state is the BJP alliance,' he added.
Stalin said that the DMK-led government had consecrated 3,000 temples. 'We've spent ₹ 84 crore on restoring churches and mosques too,' the chief minister said. He also criticised Tamil Nadu's main opposition party, the AIADMK, for remaining silent while the clip criticising the Dravidian stalwarts was played during the event.
AIADMK patched up with the BJP this April after walking out of the NDA alliance in 2023 over the national party's then state president K Annamalai criticising the Dravidian leaders.
Following the backlash after the event, deputy leader of opposition RB Udayakumar, who had attended the conference along with three other senior AIADMK leaders, said that they would not tolerate criticism against Periyar and Annadurai and they did not condone the resolutions passed at the event.
The six resolutions passed in the conference included the removal of the department of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) and a call for Hindu electoral unity ahead of the 2026 assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.
But Stalin was unsparing. 'The party (AIADMK) that carries Annadurai's name stood quietly when he was mocked,' he said, adding, 'The party that has mortgaged itself to the BJP will not hesitate to pledge the state too.'
Stalin said that while his party fought for people-centric national issues, the BJP-AIADMK alliance focuses on religion and added that the DMK's coalition would win assembly elections not just in 2026 but also in 2031 and 2036.
Reacting to Stalin's remarks, Annamalai said: 'Government officials, police, women, senior citizens and children - no one is safe under this government. Stalin is playing drama every hour of every day and can pursue full time acting.'
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