CHENNAI/MADURAI:Political parties in the State including DMK working president M K Stalin, MDMK general secretary Vaiko, VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan and Social Democratic Party of India State president KKSM Dhehlan Baqavi on Saturday took exception to the presence of Bhagavad Gita engraved near the statue of late president APJ Abdul Kalam at his memorial at Pekarumbu, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.
Stalin while speaking at a function here said the presence of Bhagavad Gita was an act of imposing communalism. He expressed concern why Tirukkural was not placed there.
VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan said, “The presence of Bhagavad Gita along with the statue of Kalam has raised apprehension as to whether it is done with an ulterior motive to portray the late leader as a passionate lover of Hinduism. It also maligned Muslims. So it should be removed.”
Questioning the rationale behind installing a statue of Kalam with a Veena and placing a Bhagavad Gita near him, Vaiko asked: “Is Bhagavad Gita superior than Tirukkural ? Kalam while addressing the Greek Parliament, quoted Tirukkural and spread the message of ‘yaadhum oorae, yaavarum kelir’ (Every place is my native place and all are my relatives). I know what are all the ways you (BJP) try to sneak in.” Vaiko further said no one could erase the imprint of Dravidian movement from the minds of the people.
Dhehlan Baqavi urged the government and DRDO to remove the Bhagavad Gita engraved as part of the statue of Kalam playing a ‘veena’. He said Tirukkural should be placed there. The move portrays as if Kalam was in favour of the Sangh Parivar. He said the late president showed his neutrality without any denomination and was common to all people.