BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan attacked actor-politician Vijay's TVK government, calling it a 'rehashed duplicate' of the DMK. He alleged the TVK disrespects Hindu sentiments and is peddling the prejudiced politics of polarisation.
BJP Accuses TVK of 'Anti-Hindu' Politics
BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the Tamil Nadu- led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government, alleging that it is "mirroring" the previous DMK regime in allegedly disrespecting Hindu sentiments. Speaking to ANI, Kesavan said the TVK-led coalition government headed by actor-politician Vijay was "nothing but a rehashed duplicate" of the earlier DMK government when it comes to religious issues.
"The TVK coalition government headed by Vijay seems to be nothing but a rehashed duplicate of the previous DMK government when it comes to disrespecting the sentiments of crores of Hindu devotees and preventing them from following their Dharma... This decision exposes how this TVK government is peddling the prejudiced politics of polarisation and bigoted religious appeasement. What better can you expect of a coalition government with Congress as the main partner? Everybody knows that Congress, headed by Rahul Gandhi, is prejudiced and harbours an anti-Hindu mindset," Kesavan alleged. He further linked the Congress party's past positions, stating, "Whether it was Nehru's Congress, which opposed the reconstruction of the Somnath Mandir, or Rahul Gandhi's Congress, which mocked the Pran Prathishta ceremony at the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya... TVK government must understand one thing - the state symbol of Tamil Nadu itself is a temple, and everybody is aware of the kind of backlash the erstwhile DMK government received with their discriminatory attitude in the Thiruparankundram temple issue."
Kesavan also referred to earlier controversies in Tamil Nadu, claiming that the "erstwhile DMK government" faced backlash over its handling of temple-related issues. "The TVK government, unfortunately, is following the same divisive wrong path of the DMK, and the people of Tamil Nadu will teach this TVK government a fitting lesson in the days to come," he added.
The Thiruparankundram Temple Controversy
The remarks came after the TVK had moved the Supreme Court against the Madras High Court's decision to allow lighting of the Karthigai lamp atop a pillar, Deepathoon, at Thiruparankundram Hills in Madurai.
Legal and Political Timeline
In January 2026, a Division bench of the Justices G Jayachandran and KK Ramakrishnan of the Madras HC had upheld a single judge decision passed by Justice GR Swaminathan permitting the lighting of the Kirthigai lamp at 'Deepathoon' (stone pillar). The case had sparked a political row with the previous Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government, which opposed the Madras High Court's decision. The controversy arose with the presence of a Subramaniya Swamy Temple, one of the six sacred Arupadai Veedu abodes of Lord Murugan, and the Sikandar Badusha Avuliya Dargah.
During the Winter Session of Parliament last year, over 100 INDIA bloc MPs submitted a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking an impeachment motion against Justice GR Swaminathan, who gave the order. The BJP rallied in favour of the Hindu devotees, slamming the DMK in the run-up to the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
A contempt petition was filed against government officials for allegedly failing to comply with an earlier order passed by Justice Swaminathan. However, on March 18, a Division Bench of the Madras High Court granted an interim stay on the contempt of court proceedings initiated by a single judge against the Madurai District Collector and the Thiruparankundram temple authorities.
Previously, the Supreme Court had declined to interfere with the Madras High Court's October 2025 judgment. Upholding the High Court's ruling, the apex court held that Muslims are entitled to offer prayers at the Sikandar Badusha Avuliya Dargah only on the occasions of Ramzan and Bakri-Id, and not on a daily basis. The court also affirmed the prohibition on animal sacrifice within the Dargah premises. (ANI)
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