Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said on Wednesday that the DMK government was not against spiritualism but was against those who sought to capitalise on spiritualism for politics and selfish goals and to propagate discrimination.
Addressing a mupperum vizha of Vallalar at the Kapaleeswarar temple in Chennai, organised by the Department of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments, he alleged that those who used religion for their survival in politics had been running a campaign that the Dravidian model of government was against spiritualism.
Also Read | Vallalar’s birth anniversary is benevolence day
“I am saying it because a section of the social media could selectively use my speech and create an impression that I have spoken against spiritualism. Let me say it clearly that the DMK government is not against spiritualism, but only against those who use it to fulfil their selfish agenda and spread social discrimination. Those who know the culture of religion in Tamil land will understand it,” he said.
Recalling a couplet from The Thirukkural that negated social status based on one’s birth and Vallalar’s dictum that “there is one God and He is in the form of light”, Mr. Stalin said DMK founder C.N. Annadurai adopted the idea of 'one race one God' from Thirumoolar.
Also Read | Feeding the hungry for 155 years
He said it was the duty of the DMK government to celebrate Vallalar, who consistently campaigned against discrimination on the basis of caste and religion. Mr. Stalin also recalled the DMK’s election promise of creating an international centre at Vadalur, where Vallalar established a community kitchen.
“We have formed a committee and it is drafting a ₹100-crore project for the centre,” he said.
The Chief Minister also announced that ₹3.25 crore had been allotted for ‘annadhanam’ and a series of lectures for 52 days.
