IIT song row: Raja hits out at Vaiko while TTV defends

BJP national secretary H Raja asked, “What is wrong with singing ‘MahaGanapathym’ in IIT?” He accused the MDMK leader of diverting the attention of people from the Paleswaram hospice controversy involving allegations of selling of organs of the deceased.

“In a coconut grove, there can be a few other trees among the thousands of coconut trees. But, it is called a coconut grove. 

Similarly, 85 per cent of the people living in this country are Hindus and how can singing a Hindu devotional song could be termed wrong,” Raja asked. 

Reacting to demands for an apology by the Union Minister, who took part in the function, Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan said the Central ministers who take part in the function could not be criticised as they could not abruptly interfere and stop the singing of a devotional song. Citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks that Tamil is an older language than Sanskrit, he said the ministers under such a Prime Minister could not be charged with ignoring Tamil. 

“Tamil invocation song should be sung in all the government functions in Tamil Nadu. But, those who are raising the IIT function issue are doing so for political ends. When the students began singing, I realised that they had skipped the Tamil anthem, but how can I intervene immediately,” he noted.   

In an unexpected twist to the IIT Sanskrit song row, RK Nagar legislator TTV Dinakaran rushed to the defence of MDMK general secretary Vaiko, who faced criticism from BJP national secretary H Raja. 

Speaking to reporters here on Tuesday, Dinakaran said the BJP leader is creating a wrong culture in the state by criticising Vaiko in a demeaning manner. He also came down heavily on the singing of Sanskrit song in IIT and accused the BJP of trying to impose Sanskrit and Hindi here. 

Referring to Raja’s allegation that Vaiko is backing Christians, Dinakaran accused the BJP leader of trying to give a communal spin to the issue. 

“People of Tamil Nadu are living peacefully without communal clashes due to the policies of Dravidian movement’s founder EVR Periyar. There is no bomb culture in the state, but the BJP is trying to incite it.  If the BJP really wanted to gain a foot hold in Tamil Nadu, it should form the Cauvery Management Board instead of giving a communal colour to issues and trying several short cut methods.” He also said the CM and Deputy were being threatened by the Centre.