BJP’s State-wide protest aims to cover up failure of Annamalai’s 'En Mann En Makkal yatra': Sekarbabu

CHENNAI: Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) P K Sekarbabu on Tuesday said State BJP president K Annamalai-led protest demanding his resignation as diversion tactics to cover up the failure of ‘En Mann En Makkal’ yatra.

"It would not stop them from continuing the department’s good work," he said.

He also hit out at Puducherry Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan to stop acting like the propaganda Secretary of the BJP's Tamil Nadu unit and refrain from doing petty politics.

“The yatra ‘En Mann En Makkal’ did not take off. So, he wants to take an issue to cover it up. Being in politics for decades, our Chief Minister (M K Stalin) and myself have seen several such protests. It will not slow down us and our good work anyway,” said the Minister and shrugged off the BJP’s State-wide protest on Monday demanding his resignation for taking part in programme ‘Annihilation of Sanatana Dharma’ and allegedly being silent over State Youth Welfare and Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remark on Sanatana.

The latter equated Sanatana Dharma to Dengue, Malaria and Covid and gave a clarion call to eradicate it for a better future.

"In the DMK regime, which promotes social equality and justice, no one can stop the ministers from talking about Sanatana. They have all the rights to talk about it and continue to do so. Our government is revolutionising the department by creating infrastructures for the devotees and improving the temples. This will continue,” he said after handing over the course completion certificate to as many as 98 students of the second batch of the Government Archakars’ Training Centres.

When sought an explanation on Telangana Governor and Puducherry Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan’s remark on the participation of CM Stalin in HR & temples’ consecration, the Minister rebuked that she has "no moral rights" to talk about it.

“She is the Governor of Telangana and Lt Governor of Puducherry and not the propaganda Secretary of Tamil Nadu BJP. She has no moral rights to talk about it. Let her first focus on taking efforts to conduct consecration of temples in Telangana and Puducherry. And later, she can dwell on this issue. So, I request her (through the media) to refrain from doing such politics in Telangana and Puducherry,” he said.