COIMBATORE: A large number of people from different sub-sects of Hindu religion today staged a protest demonstration here demanding unconditional apology from lyricist Vairamuthu for his alleged controversial remarks against Goddess Andal.
The protesters, including Vaishnavites, devotees of Lord Vishnu and members of Brahmin Association, gathered near South Taluk office here and raised slogans against Vairamuthu and sought his unconditional apology for his alleged remarks against the Goddess.
Meanwhile, another group of persons, including women, owing allegiance to Hindu Makkal Katchi also joined demonstrators and sang stanzas of 'Thiruppaavai' written by Andal.
Hindu Makkal Katchi president, Arjun Sampath said that Vairauthu should apologise for his denigrating remarks against Andal, who is held in high esteem across the state.
Andal, the only woman among the 12 revered Vaishnavite saints hailed as 'Alwars' in Tamil, is also venerated as a Goddess and a gifted poet in view of her classic Tamil work 'Thiruppavai,' in praise of Lord Krishna.
According to spiritual texts, she lived in the eighth century AD in Srivilliputhur.
Thiruppavai is a celebrated work in spiritual Tamil literature and is also part of the Vaishnavite "Divya Prabhantham (a collection of verses respected as sacred and in praise of Lord Narayana) In his address at a literary event at Rajapalayam in Tamil Nadu, Vairamuthu recently spoke about Andal and it was also published in a Tamil daily.
It led to outrage among devotees, who alleged that the lyricist had offended the Goddess and them conversely by making inappropriate and objectionable references to her.