DMK President MK Stalin who had visited the Muthuramalinga Thevar Temple at Pasumpon on the occasion of Thevar Jayanthi (October 30) found himself in the midst of a storm after a video of him rubbing his hands off the ‘vibudhi prasadam’ became viral.
On October 30, leaders belonging to different political parties visited the Muthuramalinga Thevar Temple at Pasumpon on the occasion of Thevar Jayanthi, the birth and death anniversary of nationalist leader Muthuramlinga Thevar.
On this day, ‘Guru Poojai’ is conducted in remembrance of Muthuramalinga Thevar at the temple cum memorial located at Pasumpon and also at different places across the state.
Like in every Hindu temple, ‘karpoora aarthi’ is performed and the ‘vibhudhi’ and ‘kum kum’ (vermilion) prasadam (offering) is shared with the people which is to be applied on the forehead.
Stalin who had received the ‘vibudhi’ prasadam had rubbed it off his hands without even applying it on his forehead in order to stick to his ‘rationalist’ credentials.
This had however not gone well with the Thevar community as well as with the larger Hindu populace who see this as yet another show of hatred towards their community.
Soon, netizens took to social media lambasting the DMK chief saying that he has disrespected and insulted Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar. The hashtag #StalinInsultsThevar (#தேவரை_அவமதித்த_ஸ்டாலின்) trended nationwide on Twitter.
Earlier in 2018, the DMK chief rubbed off the turmeric paste applied on his forehead by the temple priests at the Srirangam Ranganathaswamy Temple.
Following this episode, the Appanaadu Maravar Sangam, a Thevar community collective from Mudhukulathur in Ramanathapuram district has issued a condemnation statement stating that unless DMK chief MK Stalin issues an unconditional apology for insulting Muthuramalinga Thevar, he won’t be allowed to set his foot in Pasumpon.
“On 30.10.2020, DMK chief MK Stalin, who had come for the 113th Thevar Jayanti celebrations of the late Thiru. U. Muthuramalinga Thevar, was presented with a Vibudhi offering. The incident where he wiped it off with his hand without applying it on his forehead is an act of humiliation of Lord Thevar. People of the Thevar community who worship Thevar as their deity are deeply distressed by this action of Mr. MK Stalin. Apart from registering our strongest objections to the despicable act of DMK chief MK Stalin, we demand him to issue an unconditional apology. Else, we will not let him enter Pasumpon henceforth.”, the statement read.