VCK chief Thirumavalavan seems to have a contradictory stance on Hinduism, as he simultaneously criticizes the faith while seeking blessings at temples during election campaigns.
Amid the false propaganda spread by opposition parties, claiming that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had disrespected Dr. Ambedkar through a clipped 12-second video, which portrayed him and the party in a negative light as “anti-Dalit” and “anti-Ambedkar,” the same narrative continued to circulate in Tamil Nadu even after the full video debunked the claims. VCK chief Thirumavalavan took a unique approach by adding his own “anti-Hindu” agenda to the criticism, which was particularly shocking. Despite visiting temples to worship before elections, he hypocritically criticizes Hinduism whenever possible after the elections.
On 18 October 2024, VCK chief Thirumavalavan via his official X account stated, “How can Savarkar’s descendants tolerate the fact that the entire country is talking about revolutionary Ambedkar? #AmitShah has revealed how much they are fed up. He has torn off his own veil. This is the true face of the Sangh Parivar. The Constitution and revolutionary Ambedkar are their real enemies. This is what the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal has been continuously exposing. All the praise given by the Sangh Parivar to the revolutionary Ambedkar is a great act of deceiving the common people. The revolutionary Ambedkar takes the form of ‘universal form’ (Vishwaroopam). The conspiracy attempts of the Sanadhanis will be in ashes!”
He further, with intent, shared an image of Ambedkar along with a quote aimed at criticizing Hinduism and Hindus, seemingly to settle a personal political score, “Whatever Hindus say, Hinduism is a threat to Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity.”
புரட்சியாளர் அம்பேத்கர் அவர்களைப்பற்றி நாடே பேசுகிறது என்பதை சாவர்க்கரின் வாரிசுகளால் எப்படி பொறுத்துக் கொள்ளமுடியும்?
எவ்வளவு வயிற்றெரிச்சல் அவர்களுக்கு என்பதை #அமித்ஷா வெளிப்படுத்தி விட்டார். அவர் தனது முகத்திரையைத் தானே கிழித்துக் கொண்டார். இதுதான் சங்பரிவார்களின் உண்மை… pic.twitter.com/IkMrpjQVSc— Thol. Thirumavalavan (@thirumaofficial) December 18, 2024
Previous Propaganda by VCK Chief Thirumavalavan Undermining Hindu Sentiments
Tirupati Laddu Prasadam Row
During the recent controversy over the presence of beef and pig fat in Tirupati Laddu Prasadam, which sparked outrage among the Hindu community, VCK leader and Chidambaram MP Thol Thirumavalavan intentionally trivialized the issue by claiming that animal fat in sweets is common, further exacerbating the situation.
A laboratory report revealed that beef tallow, fish oil, and palm oil were used to prepare laddus, distributed as prasad at the renowned Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati. The report’s findings indicate that the ghee used to prepare the iconic Tirupati laddu prasadam during the YSRCP regime contained traces of animal fat, including beef tallow and fish oil, leading to widespread outrage and claims of disrespect toward religious sentiments.
Speaking to a reporter after hoisting a 62-foot flag of his party near Madurai, Thirumavalavan said, “In most sweets or food products, using animal fat is normal and is a common practice across the world. I don’t know why it is being politicized. If it (Tirupati Laddu) should not contain animal/beef fat, then accordingly guidelines should be framed to prevent such occurrences in the future.”
Called Temples – A Place with Obscene Figurines
Some time ago, Thirumavalavan addressed a gathering, expressing opposition to educational policies based on Sanatana Dharma and humorously criticizes Hindu temples in front of the audience that, “if the building has a dome, it is a mosque. If it is tall and straight, it is a church. And if it has dirty figurines, it is a temple”.
ஆபாச பொம்மைகள் இருப்பது தான் கோவில் என்று பேசிவிட்டு கோவிலுக்கு போய் சாமி கும்பிட்டு நாடகம்!
Double standard @thirumaofficial !#ParliamentElection2024 pic.twitter.com/uykz6W5ra0
— முத்து (@Muthuhere3) March 27, 2024
Called For Destruction Of All Hindu Temples
Thirumavalavan is known for his anti-Hindu politics and for spreading canards about Hinduism. He had once called temple gopurams structures with ugly figurines. In 2017, Thirumavalavan called for the destruction of all Hindu temples and building of Buddhist viharas in those places.
Thirumavalavan said, “Destroy all hindu temples and in it place build Buddhist Viharas”. Addressing a gathering convened in Perambalur, VCK Chief Thirumavalavan, asserted that areas housing Shiva and Perumal temples were originally sites of Buddhist monasteries. He contended that these Buddhist structures were replaced by the construction of Shiva and Perumal temples, advocating for their demolition to pave the way for the erection of Buddhist temples in their stead. Furthermore, he proposed the establishment of Buddhist temples at the purported sites of Lord Thiruvaranganathar’s presence and the Kanji Kamachi Amman Temple.
Said Building Temples Is A Business & Profitable
In a book release event held in Chennai, Thirumavalavan said, “Building a temple is a business. I am not joking. Unlike any other business, building temples is the most profitable and provides the highest income. Which other business is more profitable than the income generated by the Tirupati temple? What are the temple’s income and expenditure? People donate money to the Tirupathi temple. People pour money into the Ayyappan temple.”
Called Women Adhering to Sanatana Dharma Prostitutes
In another occurrence during a webinar hosted by Periyarist groups, Thirumavalavan referred to women adhering to the Sanatana tradition as prostitutes. A particular excerpt from his speech circulating on social media highlights, “how are women valued in Sanatana Dharma, how are they treated? From time immemorial, how they have been oppressed and exploited… what does Sanatana Dharma say about women? Basically, women are created as prostitutes by God. All women are prostitutes as per Hindu Dharma…Manu Dharma… All women are prostitutes… that’s how they were created by God… they’re of a status lower than men. It applies to Brahmin women as well as to other women”.
— Vanjilingam Murugan (@Vanjilinga26664) March 27, 2024
Participated In Eradicate Sanatana Dharma Conference
He also took part in the September 2023 Eradicate Sanatana Dharma conference where Udhayanidhi Stalin had compared Sanatana Dharma to mosquito and dengue and said that it had to be eradicated. In the same conference, Thirumavalavan had said “Sanatana Dharma can be destroyed when we turn OBC against FC (Forward Caste).”
தமிழ்நாடு முற்போக்கு எழுத்தாளர் கலைஞர்கள் சங்கத்தின் சார்பில் நடைபெற்ற #சனாதன ஒழிப்பு மாநாட்டில் கலந்துகொண்டு உரையாற்றினேன். pic.twitter.com/LW6cfV8X9s
— Thol. Thirumavalavan (@thirumaofficial) September 2, 2023
Peddled Lies About Sanatana Dharma Comparing It With Islam & Christianity
On International Women’s Day (8 March 2024), a special symposium took place at Chennai Ambedkar Thital, with Thirumavalavan as the chief guest discussing “Revolutionary Ambedkar and Women’s Rights.” He said, “Take Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism, or any other religion, the core fundamental philosophy of it would be fraternity i.e brotherhood. There is one religion in the world that denies brotherhood completely, they are asking do you know what is Sanatana Dharma? Sanatana Dharma is a dharma that says there should not be brotherhood, they say that we have understood it wrongly. Today a women judge in High Court has said that Sanatana Dharma is different from rituals, yes that’s correct, as we say, rituals and principles are different, but this Sanatana Dharma’s particular principle defines hierarchy based on birth and no one can deny it.”
“The word Sanatana means permanent, that’s different, means unchanging, it is anti-physical, anti-scientific. Nothing is fixed, everything is changing, this is the law of physics, this is the dialectic rule, that is the paradox, but they are… In Sanatana Dharma discrimination is its core, discrimination is the lifeline of Sanatana Dharma in no other religion discrimination will be the basic factor, No one talks about this. They ask why I did not criticize Christianity or Islam, without criticizing them why singling out us, that is because the discrimination is here only. I’m saying that in core principles, RC (Roman Catholic) can have discrimination, it’s an institution. CSI (Church Of South India) can have discrimination, it’s an institution, but there is no discrimination in Christianity that is the difference between the two,” he added.
Thirumavalavan, MP from TN compares Sanatana Dharma & other religions. says – Sanatana dharma is only religion in world that denies brotherhood, discrimination is lifeline of Sanatana dharma. RC or CSI can have discrimination as they are institutions. How is this not hate speech? pic.twitter.com/uZWUo71QZM
— hi_there (@hi_there_2023) March 10, 2024
Insulted Periyapuranam And Hinduism
During the Nandanar Guru Puja celebration, a sacred thread ceremony was organized to promote inclusivity. One of the key highlights of the event was Governor RN Ravi presiding over a ceremony in which over 100 individuals from Adi Dravidar communities were presented with the sacred thread, known as ‘poonool’ or ‘janeu,’ traditionally worn by Brahmins and other communities. This symbolic gesture aimed to foster inclusivity and equality. However, I.N.D.I.A. ally and VCK MP seized the opportunity to launch a tirade against Hinduism.
#JUSTIN காட்டுமன்னார்கோவில் நந்தனார் குருபூஜை
– ஆதிதிராவிடர்களுக்கு பூணூல் அணிவிக்கும் நிகழ்வில் ஆளுநர் ஆர்.என்.ரவி, ஸோஹோ சிஇஓ ஸ்ரீதர் வேம்பு உள்ளிட்டோர் பங்கேற்பு #RNRavi #SridharVembu #news18tamilnadu | https://t.co/7dpn9FD15R pic.twitter.com/uohPRHQURP— News18 Tamil Nadu (@News18TamilNadu) October 4, 2023
Hitting out at Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi for presiding over the function in which Nandanar community were adorned the poonool, Thirumavalavan said that the act amounted to denigration the working-class people in the name of upliftment.
“This is what is Sanathanam“, he said condemning the Hindu faith.
“Does the governor say that others who do not wear poonul are inferior? Will the Governor make the Adi Dravidians who are dressed in Poonul as temple priests?“, he added.
“Let us reject the Periya Puranam which denigrates the king Nandan, as a cow-eating Pulayan“, Thirumavalavan said.
நந்தனார் பிறந்த ஊர் ஆதனூரில் 100 பறையர்களுக்கு பூணூல் அணிவிக்காறாராம் ஆளுநர் சனாதனி #ஆர்_என்_ரவி அவர்கள். இது மேன்மைப் படுத்துகிறோம் என்னும் பெயரில் உழைக்கும் மக்களை இழிவுப் படுத்துவதாகும்.
இதுதான் சனாதனம் ஆகும்.இதன்மூலம் பூணூல் அணியாத மற்றவர்கள் இழிவானவர்கள் என்கிறாரா… pic.twitter.com/m8UjZUv7Fn
— Thol. Thirumavalavan (@thirumaofficial) October 4, 2023
Hypocrisy They Name Is VCK – Turns Staunch Practicing Hindu During Elections
During the Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu, on 27 March 2024, Thirumavalavan personally visited the Mayavan temple, the deity of his clan, in his native village of Anganur in Ariyalur district. During this visit, the temple priest welcomed Thirumavalavan by garlanding him and performing a ceremonial ritual of tying headgear (Thalaipagai) on his head. After completing special worship at the temple, Thirumavalavan submitted his nomination papers to Ariyalur District Collector and Election Conducting Officer Annie Mary Swarna, accompanied by Ministers Sivashankar and Panneerselvam. This action took place before the formal filing of his nomination papers.
ஆபாச பொம்மைகள் இருப்பது தான் கோவில் என்று பேசிவிட்டு கோவிலுக்கு போய் சாமி கும்பிட்டு நாடகம்!
Double standard @thirumaofficial !#ParliamentElection2024 pic.twitter.com/uykz6W5ra0
— முத்து (@Muthuhere3) March 27, 2024
2024 நாடாளுமன்ற பொதுத் தேர்தலில் #சிதம்பரம் நாடாளுமன்றத் தொகுதியில் இன்று #வேட்புமனு தாக்கல் செய்தேன் pic.twitter.com/7UWRDWyXCz
— Thol. Thirumavalavan (@thirumaofficial) March 27, 2024
Another unexpected visit came as Thirumavalavan kickstarted his election campaign in Kallakurichi. Amidst the hustle and bustle of political campaigning, Thirumavalavan, accompanied by Minister for Transport S.S. Sivasankar, took a moment to seek blessings at the temple. Not only did he offer his respects, but he also partook in the sacred rituals, receiving prasad (religious offering) and even the sacred ash, thiruneeru, from a Brahmin priest.
The image of Thirumavalavan being blessed with thiruneeru by the Brahmin priest quickly went viral. This unexpected move by the VCK chief, known for his anti-Hindu stance, was seen as a calculated attempt to appeal to the Hindu electorate, especially in light of the alliance between VCK and the DMK.
#BREAKING || பெருமாள் கோவிலில் திருமா சாமி தரிசனம்..! #Thirumavalavan #VCK #Temple #NewsTamil24x7 pic.twitter.com/BYzyKVUYa4
— News Tamil 24×7 (@NewsTamilTV24x7) April 2, 2024
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