BJP's Murugan devotees' conference is political, targets Dravidian leaders: DMK Minister

Chennai, Jun 23 (PTI) The Murugan devotees' conference organised by the BJP and Hindu Munnani was only an occasion to target the Dravidian leaders and it had nothing to do with spirituality, Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister P K Sekar Babu claimed on Monday.

Slamming the BJP for "speaking ill" of the Dravidian stalwarts, he said the conference held in Madurai on June 22 portrayed rationalist leader Periyar E V Ramasamy, former Chief Minister C N Annadurai and others in poor light.

An audio-visual on the history of the Hindu Munnani presented at the conference had evoked the criticism of AIADMK leader K T Rajenthra Bhalaji, who had attended the event along with other former state ministers from his party. It had displayed photographs and cartoons criticising the Dravidian leaders.

"There's nothing spiritual about that conference. It was a political event in the name of Lord Murugan to target the Dravidian icons," Sekar Babu told reporters here.

He claimed that former BJP state chief K Annamalai spoke ill of former Chief Ministers C N Annadurai, M Karunanidhi, and even M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa.

"Under such a circumstance, the AIADMK former ministers who attended the conference remained silent as if they have signed the 'charter of slavery' to the BJP," Babu alleged.

In Pudukottai, Law Minister S Regupathy flayed the AIADMK saying that party has lost the qualification to retain the late Annadurai's name. PTI JSP ROH