Following the DMK’s decision to renominate P. Wilson to the Rajya Sabha, Archbishop George Antonysamy of the Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore, who recently drew attention for invoking religious identity during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections to influence voters, publicly expressed his gratitude to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. In his letter, the Archbishop highlighted Wilson’s “Roman Catholic” identity and thanked Stalin for reappointing him, emphasizing Wilson’s service to the Christian community and minorities at large.
This public acknowledgment has raised eyebrows, particularly because it contradicts the DMK’s longstanding claim against blending religion with politics. The party, and Chief Minister Stalin himself, have consistently maintained that while they respect spirituality, they oppose the exploitation of religion for political advantage.
For instance, in 2022, Stalin stated that the DMK is not anti-religion but firmly against those who manipulate faith for personal or political gain. Speaking at an event organized by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, Stalin said, “Those using religion for their political survival allege that the Dravidian model of governance is against religion and beliefs. I wish to reiterate that the DMK is not against spiritualism but is against those who use religion to serve their selfish political agenda.”
In contrary to this, a letter dated 28 May 2025, Archbishop Antonysamy addressed Chief Minister Stalin, writing, “I am happy to learn that you have re-nominated Thiru P. Wilson, who is a Roman Catholic, as Member of Rajya Sabha. Under your guidance, over the last six years, he has contributed a lot to our State, minorities in general and particularly our Christian community. Now he is in a position to continue his good work and bring more glory to our State, your party and our community. I thank you for recognising the needs of our minority Christian community and giving representation in Parliament.”
We Dravidiyas never mix politics with religion bro.
Yeah bro.
Shameless creatures!👇 pic.twitter.com/t8tIiT2k0F
— Dr.SG Suryah (@SuryahSG) May 28, 2025
The letter’s explicit religious framing, especially during an election period, has drawn criticism given the DMK’s public commitment to secular governance and its avowed resistance to religious-based political mobilization.
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