Following reports that Tamil Nadu Congress State President and Sriperumbudur MLA K. Selvaperunthagai was allegedly barred by temple authorities from taking part in the kumbhabhishekam ceremony at the Vallakottai Murugan Temple in Kancheepuram, senior BJP leader and former governor Tamilisai Soundararajan who was present at the event released a detailed statement clarifying what occurred.
In her nuanced explanation, Tamilisai emphasized that the incident stemmed from a misunderstanding and denied any suggestion of caste-based discrimination at the temple.
Previously speaking to the media, Selvaperunthagai remarked, “This issue has persisted for 2000 years; it can’t be resolved overnight. I pray that no harm comes to our Chief Minister, who tirelessly works 24 hours a day for good governance, nor to the Minister of the Hindu Religious & Endowments Department, who is doing an even better job than the devotional movements. As a devotee I stood other devotees, I couldn’t even see the deity, but everyone else managed to have a glimpse.”
On 9 July 2025, Tamilisai Soundararajan responded to the controversy surrounding the Vallakottai Murugan temple consecration, denying allegations of caste-based discrimination. She emphasized that the issue arose from security protocols and the entitled behavior of certain individuals (Selvaperunthagai), not social exclusion. Describing her own visit, she highlighted how she humbly joined the public without seeking special treatment (despite she was former governor), unlike others who, she implied, demanded privileged access due to their official positions. Tamilisai criticized the politicization of the event, stating that devotion should take precedence over power or status. She condemned those twisting the incident into a caste issue, asserting that Lord Murugan would bless genuine devotion not arrogance disguised as victimhood.
Tamilisai Soundararajan via her official X account stated, “My Appan Murugan, Thiruchendur Murugan’s consecration ceremony. I wished to have a darshan of my appan in Thiruchendur. I felt that the strictness of the ‘Sekars’ outweighed the arrangements made by the ‘Irai Sevagargal’ (divine servants). The Sekars’ self-promotion seemed to overshadow the devotion of the Sevagargal. I heard about a consecration ceremony at Valla Kottai and decided that wherever it was, it was still my lord. I concluded that my lord was calling me there. As a devotee, I stopped my car a kilometer before and reached the temple with the general public. I climbed the steps with devotion. I arrived two hours early and waited among the common people. No special seating was offered to me, nor did I ask for any, like the ‘Mutharasars’ grumble about. I stood and waited as a devotee of Murugan.
I asked if I could go up. They said, ‘If it’s just you, come.’ I left everyone who came with me and went up alone. Even after climbing, I stood there for half an hour as a devotee of Murugan. Some people arrived late, in a hurry, not as devotees, but carrying their positions on their shoulders. They said I couldn’t go up alone and that those who came with me should also go. ‘This is Murugan’s consecration stage, not a political stage,’ they said, ‘for security reasons, only he should go up.’ The one carrying his position insisted that everyone should go up asking do you know who we are? Disregarding the safety of others, two or three of them climbed up arrogantly.
The consecration ceremony proceeded well. After that, to witness the special darshan, I joined the crowd as a devotee among the general public and sat in front of Murugan. I waited with the public, and Murugan also waited. They were waiting for the esteemed official to arrive. Time kept passing, but the high-ranking official didn’t come. When asked why, they said he was waiting for the special gate to be opened. Murugan waited, the devotees waited, and the esteemed individual (Perunthaigayalar), with his retinue of assistants, waited for the special gate to open. Apparently, he got angry and left because the special gate was delayed in opening.
However, what transpired there was an expression of devotion, but it was wrongly proclaimed as an expression of caste. But some ‘Ravikumars‘ twisting this into an act of atrocity and arrogantly wounding the public darshan, as if to say, ‘Should I stand as one among ten?’ is strongly condemnable. The high-ranking official Perunthagai has apparently asked, ‘When women are allowed, why can’t I go?’ So, what happened there was not an atrocity but an injustice against a woman, but I did not vocalize this because I went there only for worship. I did not perceive gender discrimination there, as if they were allowing other women but not me. I only saw the expression of devotion.
They say that they went to ‘Sekars’ home to apologize after they have exaggerated a non-existent problem by creating a huge fuss over a perfectly executed consecration ceremony, causing distress to devotees, and then staging a drama as if they themselves were inconvenienced. The person who spoke arrogantly saying, ‘When people wait for many hours in Tirupati, can they not wait in a temple in Tamil Nadu?’ without apologizing for the inconvenience caused to the public, have now reportedly went to the ‘Sekars” homes to apologize for a non-existent issue.
My Appan Murugan is watching all these unfolding dramas. He is smiling at those who deceive. I reiterate, I went as a devotee and worshipped with devotion. I carried devotion, not position. Those who came carrying their positions have left carrying blame. He must understand what transpired there was nothing more than the security arrangements for Kandhan’s devotees climbing the scaffolding, not a katapanchayat. The Lord of the Six Abodes is watching all these unfolding dramas! My Appan will bless those who come bearing great devotion. But what if they come bearing power and arrogance?”
என் அப்பன் முருகன் திருச்செந்தூர் முருகன் குடமுழுக்கு விழா. …
என் அப்பனை திருச்செந்தூரில் தரிசிக்க நினைத்தேன்.. இறை சேவகர்களின்.. ஏற்பாடுகளை விட… சேகர்களின்.. கெடுபிடி அதிகமாக இருந்ததாக உணர்ந்தேன்… சேவகர்களின் வழிபாட்டை விட சேகர்களின் விளம்பர வெளிப்பாடு அதிகமாக இருந்தது……— Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan (@DrTamilisai4BJP) July 9, 2025
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