DMK questions Yogi Adityanath, Pawan Kalyan's attendance at Murugan conference

The ruling DMK government on Thursday once again criticised the BJP over the upcoming Murugan conference in Tamil Nadu’s Madurai district, alleging that the event is designed to sow divisions among people in the name of religion, race and language.

Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister PK Sekar Babu questioned the relevance of political leaders from other states attending the event, particularly Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, both of whom are scheduled to visit Madurai for the conference on June 22.

“What is the relationship between Andhra’s Pawan Kalyan and Tamil Nadu? What is the relationship between UP’s Yogi Adityanath and Tamil Nadu?” Sekar Babu asked. “Temples are to propagate justice and discipline. But the conference by these people is aiming to create divisions based on race, language and religion. I feel such conferences are not needed. If they want to conduct one, let them,” he said.

The Minister’s remarks come ahead of the Murugan Devotees Conference, scheduled for June 22, with the ruling DMK dismissing it as a politically motivated gathering and the BJP defending it as a celebration of devotion.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, speaking at a party meeting in Madurai on June 8, had called on devotees to attend the conference in large numbers to display unity. He had also accused the DMK of undermining religious sentiments, linking the controversy to the status of Thiruparankundram Hill, one of the six sacred abodes (Padai Veedu) of the deity Murugan.

Sekar Babu had then also dismissed the BJP-backed conference as a political stunt. “This is a pure Sanghi and political conference. We conducted the conference where devotees of God Murugan from 27 countries participated. We did not plan to bring a crowd, seek money, arrange 2000 buses, but even then, 7 to 8 lakh people attended. But they planned this conference with the intention to use it to divide people in the name of religion,” he had said.