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DMK tries to woo Hindu voters after its links with Karuppar Koottam gets exposed

July 21, 2020
Kaushik Ramasamy

Ever since the issue of Karuppar Koottam abusing Hindu Gods gained traction, the DMK has been feeling the heat as evidences of its connections with members of the rabid Youtube channel has been surfacing.

Pictures have emerged that establishes the close relationship shared by Karuppar Koottam and the DMK. In fact, it has led to questions if whether the DMK IT wing is behind the channel itself.

Palanivel Thiagarajan DMK MLA from Madurai Central constituency and the head of DMK’s IT wing can be seen having a luncheon with some of the members of the Karuppar Koottam. This picture was uploaded in social media on 29th April 2019, ten days after the 2019 Lok Sabha General Elections in Tamil Nadu by none other than arrested member of the Karuppar Koottam gang Senthilvasan Muthusamy.

DMK MLA Palanivel Thiaga Rajan with some members of the Karuppar Koottam
Sitting 2nd from left – Senthilvasan Muthusamy. At the back, DMK MLA Palanivel Thiagarajan can be seen.

In another picture, Surendar Natarajan can be seen on top a campaign vehicle holding a mic and canvassing votes for the DMK.

The fact still remains that the DMK chief MK Stalin has not spoken a word about Karuppar Koottam or condemned them for their derogatory videos against Hindu Gods and Hindus.

The DMK for long is a party known for hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus. Earlier, the DMK Chief had on multiple occasions said that if one were to look at the meaning of the mantras chanted during Hindu wedding ceremonies, it would turn out to be ‘disgusting’.

He had rubbed off the haldi (turmeric paste) applied on his head by Hindu priests at the Srirangam temple, the one which his father M. Karunanidhi wanted to destroy with a cannon ball.

However, the party is now attempting to shed its anti-Hindu that it had brought upon itself over the decades by trying to placate the Hindus.

On July 18, during a press meet, DMK Rajya Sabha MP RS Bharathi distanced himself from the Karuppar Koottam saying that the DMK is no way linked to the rabid Youtube channel. He added that a false campaign was being done and also condemned denigration of Lord Murugan. He went on to recall Anna’s slogan of “Ondre Kulam Oruvane Devan” (One Community, One God).

The DMK chief MK Stalin also had put out a tweet condemning the incident where an Amman temple and Ganesha temple were vandalized in Coimbatore.

Added to this, the DMK IT Wing has now released a video flaunting its Hindutva credentials saying that the party is more Hindu than one could ever imagine and that it has done more for the Hindus than any Hindutva party.

It goes on to say that it was DMK that brought in the 50% reservation across India and also made people of other caste other than Brahmins to become archakas in temples.

It states that though the former CM Karunanidhi was an atheist, it was he who conducted the 1000th year commemoration of Brihadeeswara Temple and adds that it was Karunanidhi who made Sanskrit Agama mantras available in Tamil along with establishing 6 schools of training for the same.

It also mentions about how Karunanidhi brought Sage Ramanujar to people’s homes through the television series on the great social reformer.

Temples, its protection and maintenance are one of the core subjects dear to a Hindutva party. Elaborating on the same, the party in the video tells that it was during Karunanidhi’s regime between 2006 and 2011 that temples saw more allocation of money for Kumbabishekams and other temple works including providing free bicycles to temple priests. It claims that during the DMK years that close to 300 temple chariots that were lying idle including the famous Tiruvarur chariot were reclaimed along with 25 golden chariots that were constructed and given to temples.

“Despite all this, ‘some people’ (BJP) will say that DMK is an enemy of the Hindus. Unlike BJP, DMK is not a party that razes down a mosque or ‘burn Christians’ saying that they are trying to convert. We won’t do it even if we are given crores of rupees. The DMK believes that Hindus should share gifts and sweets during Ramzan and Christmas and likewise the members of the other religions should do the same on Hindu festivals. Unlike BJP, we are not a party that claims to build a temple but not lay a single brick for the same. Though Karunanidhi had asked which engineering school Lord Rama went, the party makes sure that not a hand is laid on a single brick of temples once in power. So, who are you going to vote for as Hindus?” the video says.

It has become the norm for ‘secular parties’ to cater to the Hindu vote bank by making temple visits and treading soft on them just before elections which they think will help in attracting some Hindu votes. Amidst already existing anti-DMK wave, the party is trying to placate the Hindu voters and calm the waters so that they don’t get destroyed by an anti-DMK tsunami towards the elections.  However, these new changes coming from the DMK are much beyond that. What has happened is that the ghost of Karuppar Koottam is right now haunting the DMK and is making it sweat. This ghost is making the party undergo a transformation – a transformation into a soft Hindutva party so as to stay relevant among the electorate that is largely religious.

Upon seeing these new stunts, it is tempting to draw parallels to the scene from Chandramukhi where Rajinikanth reveals Jyotika’s new avatar to Prabhu.

“Paar.. muzhusa Hindutvavaadi a marina un katchi DMK ve paar!” (Look.. look at your party DMK getting fully transformed into a Hindutvavaadi).