In damage control, Stalin says DMK not anti-Hindu

From harping on development, welfare schemes and failed promises of the ruling AIADMK and BJP, Stalin’s rhetoric has shifted to assuring that the party was not anti-Hindu.

The DMK president has been clarifying repeatedly that his party was not anti-Hindu or opposed to any religion since last weekend, thanks to his ideological ‘partner’ Dravidar Kazhagam whipped up a storm with its usual critique of a Hindu god. DK president K Veeramani, addressing a rally, had made some critical references about the mischievous nature of young Lord Krishna, triggering a backlash from the right-wing constituency, which associated the DMK with it. Worse, supporters of the BJP had even used it in their campaign against the DMK.

Quick to sense the danger, Stalin said the DMK was not anti-Hindu and it follows the “one race, one god” principle of his party founder CN Annadurai.

Notably, the non-believing DMK president did not stop with that. He went on to list out the number of kumbabishekams and welfare measures taken by the DMK regime for temples, before reiterating that his wife was a pious Hindu who visits temples daily. “I have never prevented her from frequenting temples. DMK is not against any religion,” said a cautious Stalin who was quick also to cite the order passed by the DMK regime to appoint all caste people as archakas.

A concerned DMK president had even told a media house that, “If Veeramani had said something of that sort, which he did not, it was wrong.” In fact, the statement should not come as a surprise to people who followed Stalin, for he had visited temples, churches and even a group of Dikshithars in Kancheepuram ahead of the 2016 Assembly poll.