News Tamil Nadu

“Not Pleased By Jai Shri Ram Kolams On Jan 22”: TN Cong leader’s Video Posts Video Of Husband’s Rant On Ram Mandir Consecration Celebrations

January 27, 2024
The Commune

Tamil Nadu Congress General Secretary Lakshmi Ramachandran today drew sharp criticism online after posting a video of her husband criticising his neighbours for celebrating the Pran-Prathishtha ceremony in Ayodhya.

Interestingly, she disclosed the person’s identity only when specifically asked by a netizen. Superficially, the video gives the impression that a common man gave the speech without any political agenda.

In the 4:47-minute video, Ramachandran’s husband, Swaminathan, addresses community members during a Republic Day celebration. He tells the Hindus who celebrated the Pran-Prathishtha of Lord Ram in Ayodhya’s temple on January 22, stating that they “really irked” and “bothered” him.

“There has to be something that stops us from celebrating divisive things, such as what happened on Jan 22,” Swaminathan says in the video. “I saw calls of Jai Sri Ram on Kolam designs that day. And I was not pleased.”

 

He also tells the Hindu residents not to pass on their “wrong values” to their children. “That’s why I am talking to children mainly. We want to look at the future and I hope our children do not take the wrong lessons from what we do. Even though we might do it to the best of intentions. I am not questioning intentions here. But there has to be something that stops us from celebrating divisive things, that is, such as what happened on Jan 22.”

While he asserts he has no issue celebrating festivals like Diwali, Eid, and Christmas, Swaminathan argues that “we should really think twice before celebrating something like that (Pran-Prathishtha)”. He claims to be speaking on behalf of “Muslim friends in the community, as well as a few minorities who are not happy with that event.”

Ramachandran shared the video on her social media with the caption, “A speech delivered in our residential community’s republic day celebrations! Long live Secular Indian Republic!”. The primary tweet does not mention her relationship with the speaker. An impressionable reader may be misled to believe that this speech reflects the opinions and sentiments of society.

When a netizen flatteringly asked Ramachandran, “Wow…who is he ? TV actor ?”, she introduced Swaminathan as “Tamil Medai nadaga nadigar” (meaning “actor on the Tamil stage”) and her husband of 20 years.

Swaminathan also justifies his stance by referencing his acting career and familiarity with religious texts. He says he played the roles of Manikavasagar, Ramanujan, and Aurangazeb on stage. He also talks about his knowledge of holy texts, claiming to know verses from the Quran, Thiruvasagam, and Diva Pramandam.

“There is beauty in celebrating events together,” Swaminathan says. “But not that event because many of the children may not know this. But some of us who were there in 1992 know very well how this all started. In what kind of divisive way this started. Some of you might want me to go back 400 years. Well, I don’t want to look at history like that.”

The video has sparked widespread condemnation online, with many criticising Swaminathan’s remarks as insensitive and divisive.

This video drew hundreds of comments in criticism. Some of them are as follows:

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