Shun tilaks at party events, says DMK MP A Raja, starts a row

COIMBATORE: DMK MP A Raja has stoked a controversy with his comments urging DMK cadres to shun Hindu religious symbols when they wear party dhoti.

"Those who want God, let them have their beliefs. I am not asking anyone not to worship. We are not against God. But when you also sport tilak and (holy) wrist bands, which are worn by Sanghis (RSS members), it becomes difficult to differentiate the two," he said at a public meeting organised in the hill district of Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu on Sunday.

The video has gone viral, sparking angry reactions from BJP functionaries. DMK distanced itself from Raja's comments, stating it was his personal view and not that of the party leadership.

In the past, too, Raja has come under fire over his remarks equating Sanatan dharma with leprosy and HIV.

In his Sunday speech, the MP said: "You offer prayers. If your parents apply 'vibhuti' (holy ash) on your foreheads, have it. But once you wear the 'karai veshti' (dhoti with a border featuring colours of DMK flag), remove the tilak." At least the student wing of DMK should follow this, he said, stressing that ideology was paramount for a party. "An example of deterioration of a party without ideology is AIADMK," he added.

When asked by media persons about Raja's statement, Tamil Nadu's Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments minister P K Sekar Babu said: "It must be his personal view. Our leader (CM Stalin) has not said so."

BJP netas reacted sharply, with H Raja calling DMK "a poisonous element". "Will DMK leaders like Raja have the courage to ask Muslims and Christians also to remove their religious symbols?" he asked.

BJP spokesman ANS Prasad said A Raja's remarks were an attempt to belittle the spiritual beliefs and practices of Tamils. "By asserting that wearing a sacred mark (pottu) and carrying a rosary (kayiru) are characteristics of 'Sanghis', Raja has made a blatant attempt to misrepresent Hindu traditions and practices," he said.