CHENNAI: Political parties in Tamil Nadu on Monday condemned the desecration of saint-poet Thiruvalluvar's statue at Pillayarpatti near Thanjavur and demanded stern action against the miscreants.
DMK President MK Stalin said that there could be a connection between the act and the Tamil Nadu BJP unit's attempt to saffronise Thiruvalluvar by portraying him in a saffron attire.
Condemning the desecration, PMK founder S. Ramadoss said that severe action should be taken against the miscreants and those who are behind them.
Former Union Minister and BJP leader Pon Radhakrishnan said that an insult to Thiruvalluvar was an insult to the entire Tamil community.
According to Radhakrishnan, the desecration could be a planned act.
The desecration came after Stalin on Sunday termed the BJP's attempt to saffronise Thiruvalluvar to grow the party in the state as "Tamil betrayal".
Stalin was reacting to a tweet by the BJP's Tamil Nadu unit which posted a portrait of Thiruvalluvar in a saffron 'dhoti' with sacred ash on his forehead and biceps.
Along with the image, a couplet by Thiruvalluvar questioning the use of education for a person if he/she didn't pray at the god's feet was also posted.
The Tamil Nadu government's official image of Thiruvalluvar shows the saint-poet in a white 'dhoti' with no sacred ash on his forehead.
Interestingly, the Thai translation of Thirukkural, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Bangkok, had the image of Thiruvalluvar in a white dress without the sacred ash on his forehead.
Written by Thiruvalluvar, Thirukkural, or sacred verses, comprises 1,330 couplets on ethics and morality.
It is said that Thiruvalluvar was born in Chennai and there is a temple of him in the city.