CHENNAI: CPI state secretary R Mutharasan on Friday strongly condemned what it called the appropriation of Murugan devotion for political gains by the Hindu Munnani, which is organising a "Murugan Devotees' Conference" at Vandiyur in Madurai on June 22.
In a statement, he said that Murugan worship has always been a matter of deep spiritual faith among Tamils, particularly during festivals such as Thaipusam and Panguni Uthiram, when devotees undertake pilgrimages to the six abodes (Aarupadai Veedu) of the deity. He noted that temple administrations and local authorities usually provide necessary amenities and security, while devotees and volunteers offer food and water along the pilgrimage routes.
Mutharasan questioned the need for a politically oriented conference, arguing that the event is being organised with a political lens rather than religious intent. He recalled that RSS leader Rama Gopalan founded Hindu Munnani in the early 1980s during a period marked by caste oppression and religious conversions in Meenakshipuram, and has since propagated a divisive agenda.
Drawing parallels with the political exploitation of the Ram Janmabhoomi issue in northern India, Mutharasan alleged that the Madurai conference represents an attempt to replicate similar strategies in the State by politicising Murugan devotion. He also condemned the baseless accusations made by BJP leaders and Hindu Munnani functionaries against the DMK, the Secular Progressive Alliance, and Chief Minister MK Stalin.
Calling the move a "cheap attempt" to convert faith into a political tool, Mutharasan urged the people of Tamil Nadu to firmly reject the event and preserve the State's secular and inclusive traditions.