Don't sport 'tilak', wrist thread: DMK leader A Raja stirs row by his diktat to party workers

Senior DMK leader A Raja has 'advised' his party cadres to avoid sporting 'kumkum' or ‘tilak’ and using wrist thread (‘mauli’) when they wear the party dhoti and said a political party without ideology would only face destruction and an example was the AIADMK.

Addressing a party event, Raja said he was not averse to belief in God and party founder CN Annadurai had himself said that God could be seen in the smile of the poor people. "But, when you sport pottu (kumkum) and wear kayiru (thread worn over wrist) and when the Sanghis (RSS members), too, do it, it becomes difficult to differentiate," Raja said days ago, addressing an event in the Nilgiris district. A  video clip of his purported address has now gone viral on social media.

Further, the DMK deputy general secretary said that at least those belonging to the student's wing should "please remove the pottu." However, Raja made it clear that he was not asking them to not worship God and added that if their parents were to apply 'Vibuthi' (sacred ash) on their forehead, they may accept it. Traditionally, vibuthi is applied on the forehead of young people by elders as a mark of blessings.

However, once they wear the party dhoti they should remove symbols such as the kumkum, Raja said and underscored that ideology was very important for a political party and a political party without ideology will only face destruction and an example was the AIADMK.

When questioned on Raja’s diktat to cadres, DMK leader and Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister PK Sekar Babu, who sports kumkum all the time, asserted that his party president MK Stalin had not said anything like that and it was Raja's personal view.

A Raja had in the past, too, stoked controversy by likening Sanatana dharma with HIV/AIDS.

Condemning Raja's remarks, the Tamil Nadu BJP asked when the DMK would stop hurting religious beliefs. Accusing Raja of continuously trivialising Hindu religion, the BJP said the DMK leader has now gone one step forward and asked the student's wing to not sport tilak/kumkum.

The saffron party wondered why the DMK, which projected itself as champions of communal harmony, “vulgarised” Hindu beliefs. “The Tamil Nadu's ruling party does not have locus standi to lecture on harmony and unity while continuously hurting the religious sentiments of the people,” the BJP said.