30 October is celebrated across Tamil Nadu as Thevar Jayanthi – the birth-cum-death anniversary of freedom fighter Pasumpon U Muthuramalinga Thevar who was a firebrand nationalist.
This year, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin accompanied by ministers and senior DMK leaders, offered floral tributes at a life-size statue of the freedom fighter near Goripalayam in Madurai. Later he went to the late Forward Bloc leader’s memorial in Pasumpon to offer his tributes.
However, after paying respects at the Thevar temple, critics allege that he did not accept the deeparadhana/aarti offered to Thevar’s idol nor did he apply vibhuti (sacred ash) prasadam on his forehead. Only DMK Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu was found applying the sacred ash to his forehead.
The sacred ash is traditionally applied on the forehead by Hindus. They also allege that this visit for Thevar Jayanthi only amounts to optics for the upcoming 2024 elections.
தீபாராதனையை வணங்கவில்லை
திருநீர் எடுக்கவில்லை. எதற்காக பசும்பொன் சென்றார் முதல்வர் ?
சுண்டலும் சர்க்கரை பொங்கலும் தருவார்கள் என எதிர்பார்த்தா ?எல்லாம் 2024 தேர்தல் படுத்தும் பாடு.#தேசமும்_தெய்வீகமும் pic.twitter.com/KdstsxruUL
— Selva Kumar (@Selvakumar_IN) October 30, 2023
After the meeting, CM Stalin addressed reporters and went on to enlist how his father Karunanidhi had accorded respects to Thevar.
Visits Deivathirumaganar Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Devar avl’s Guru Poojai and
talks about DMK & Annadurai for 1 min,
talks about Dravida model for 1 min,
talks about Karunanithi for 4+ mins,
but has nothing to say about the great selfless national leader Pasumpon Muthuramalinga… pic.twitter.com/G8SuTFCdUx— Vishwatma 🇮🇳 (@HLKodo) October 30, 2023
This is not the first time that such a controversy involving Stalin especially on Thevar Jayanthi has surfaced.
In 2020, when Stalin was the DMK President, he faced backlash after a video circulated of him wiping off the ‘vibudhi prasadam‘ from his hands without applying it on his forehead during a visit to the Muthuramalinga Thevar Temple in Pasumpon on Thevar Jayanthi. Stalin’s act, seen as a display of his “rationalist beliefs”, drew criticism from the Thevar community and others who saw it as disrespect towards their traditions.
The dmk leader insulted the great man of our country, the golden god Thevar. Anti Hindu stalin#தேவரை_அவமதித்த_ஸ்டாலின் pic.twitter.com/V3TvYHLViG
— Ghanesh (@Ghanesh1) October 31, 2020
This incident echoes a similar controversy in 2018 when Stalin wiped off turmeric paste applied on his forehead at the Srirangam Ranganathaswamy Temple.
#GoBackStalin
We oppose Stalin coming anywhere near to the saintly Pasumpon Shri Thevar Swami who had desiyam and deiveekam, both of them are missing in Stalin #GoBackStalin @polimernews @BJP4TamilNadu @BJP4India @CTRavi_BJP @Tejasvi_Surya pic.twitter.com/3s5xOjjC4S pic.twitter.com/jNZAXIM93j— JEEVA LT DHARMA #SaveSoil 💯 days 🌱🍃🪱🇮🇳 (@jeeva_LT_dharma) October 30, 2020
In 2022, he did not participate in any of the events around this celebration.
Tamilnadu CM Stalin had to cite this as reason for not attending Thevar Jayanti pic.twitter.com/sp4e1oSJCF
— Mastram (@mastram80) October 30, 2022
In 2007, MK Stalin did not participate in Thevar Jayanthi celebrations and went on a mysterious trip to Bangkok, Thailand. Some reports of that time say that he was miffed with his father Karunanidhi.
In 2007, Stalin chose to Chill out in Bangkok while the state was carrying out Centenary Birthday Celebrations for Thevar Ayya. It was not election time. Thevar Ayya is just an Election Prop for Stalin always. #தேவரை_அவமதித்த_ஸ்டாலின் pic.twitter.com/k3cI4N3H6l
— Krishna Kumar Murugan (@ikkmurugan) October 31, 2020
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