Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) founder Seeman on Sunday, intensified his criticism of iconic Dravidian leader, E.V.S. Ramasamy Naicker, hailed as ‘Periyar’ by his followers.
Speaking to reporters, Seeman questioned EVR’s contributions to the social revolution, contrasting them with those of Tamil Nadu’s reformers and saints like Vallalar and Vaikundar.
He also called out the double standards of Dravidianists by pointing our how the DMK has allied with the so-called “Aryan Brahmin” Rajaji to get to power.
“First stop equating Ambedkar and Periyar along the same line. You prove that both of their thinking aligns, I will apologize and leave. Your father Periyar has no passion towards language, no passion towards nation, no passion towards country, no passion towards race, so we don’t have any passion towards him.” Seeman said and compared how Ambedkar advocated for attaining political power while EVR was against electoral politics and even chastised the DMK for it.
His controversial remarks on EVR, during an event in Vadalur in the Cuddalore district, triggered widespread protests. In his speech, he had accused EVR of encouraging incestuous relationships and made other provocative statements.
He also criticised EVR’s remarks against the Tamil language and questioned the legitimacy of calling him a rationalist. Following these comments, Seeman has been booked under Sections 192 (intent to cause riot) and 353/2 (false information) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita (BNS), based on complaints filed by members of the Dravida Kazhagam (DK), an organisation founded by EVR. Seeman further alleged that EVR had no significant connection to the cause of social justice. This claim has sparked outrage, with protesters burning images of the NTK chief.
Leaders from various political parties, including DMK ministers Duraimurugan and Sekar Babu, VCK President Thol Thirumavalavan, and state Congress President K. Selvaperunthagai, condemned Seeman’s statements.
However, state BJP President K. Annamalai expressed support for Seeman, saying: “I can provide evidence of the books where Periyar made such statements. However, I believe such discussions should not be held publicly as they may offend women and children.”
He also alleged that many of EVR’s controversial books had been destroyed over time due to their contents. On the other hand, BJP ally, PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss strongly defended EVR. Without directly referring to Seeman’s remarks, he said: “Slandering Periyar is unacceptable. If Mahatma Gandhi is the hero of India’s freedom struggle, Periyar is the leader of Tamil Nadu’s social freedom movement.” Ramadoss highlighted EVR’s role in pressuring the government to increase reservations to 31 per cent, which he described as a pivotal contribution to social justice.
“While everyone has the freedom to critique Periyar’s ideology, baseless slander cannot be tolerated,” he added.
As of now, over 60 cases have been registered against Seeman across Tamil Nadu in districts such as Cuddalore, Madurai, Coimbatore, Dindigul, and Tirunelveli for his remarks. Seeman, however, remains defiant, asserting that LTTE leader V. Prabhakaran was the only leader who truly defended women’s rights. He also challenged parties to gather votes using Periyar’s name, claiming his own success in winning 32 lakh votes in the previous Assembly elections in the state was by evoking the name of Prabhakaran. The controversy continues to escalate, with protests and legal actions dominating the political landscape in Tamil Nadu.
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