DMK vs BJP, with Pawan Kalyan in the middle: Why a religious festival is at the centre of latest Tamil Nadu row

Nagendran said the “Muruga Bakthargalin Aanmeega Maanadu” (spiritual conference of Murugan devotees) being organised by the right-wing Hindu group Hindu Munnani might attract large crowds as Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, a popular actor, may be invited. “His massive fan base in the southern districts, coupled with the spiritual nature of the event, is likely to attract thousands of people beyond initial estimates,” he said.

The event is planned on the outskirts of Madurai, with the itinerary including daily pujas, distribution of prasadam, public recitations of the Kanda Shashti Kavacham and Thiruppugazh, apart from cultural performances. In addition to the Andhra Deputy CM, BJP leaders are also reportedly mulling over inviting Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, with top party sources saying Shah had already given an “informal approval” to explore his availability for the event.

According to the state secretary of the Hindu Munnani, S Muthukumar, police permission was sought to use microphones and amplifiers, but it was rejected over concerns about crowd management. He also alleged that a police team visited the site, where the miniatures were being made, and warned volunteers and artisans to stop their work.

This is not the first time the BJP has tried to centre its Tamil Nadu outreach over Lord Murugan. In 2020, then state BJP chief L Lurugan attempted to begin the Vel Yatra — modelled on the party’s rath yatras in north India — from Chennai despite the state government denying permission to it.

While Tamil Nadu is steeped in Hindu symbols, the Hindutva politics of the BJP has historically failed to resonate in a state shaped by anti-Brahmin, anti-Hindi, and anti-Hindutva movements. As Lord Murugan is a cultural icon unifying Tamils beyond party lines, the BJP’s move is seen as one to enter the emotional and spiritual mainstream of Tamil society.

Lord Murugan is one of the most worshipped deities in Tamil Nadu and is considered a Tamil God deeply entrenched in households across caste and class lines, particularly among the backward communities. Revered in Tamil Shaivism, the “Arupadai Veedu” represents the six sacred abodes of Lord Murugan: Thiruparankundram, Thiruchendur, Palani, Swamimalai, Thiruthani and Pazhamudircholai. Each shrine marks a significant event in Lord Murugan’s mythological journey: his marriage, triumph over demons, and devotion to knowledge and justice. The temples attract millions of devotees annually and are considered central to Tamil Hindu identity.

The battle over the event has also played out in court. A day after Amit Shah urged people to gather in large numbers for the event, the DMK government on Monday informed the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court that it would allow the installation of six miniatures of “Arupadai Veedu” only for three days as against the 11 days initially planned. “We do not want another situation like the recent stampede in Bengaluru,” the state government told the court.

The police’s concerns

A senior police officer told The Indian Express that red flags about crowd management emerged after the Hindu Munnani, in its first request, told the police that five lakh devotees were expected and then brought down the number to two lakh and later to 50,000 after follow-up questions regarding logistics and crowd management were asked.

The Madurai Police’s cautious approach likely stems from two recent incidents that led to deaths: the air show at Chennai’s Marina Beach last October and the Bengaluru stampede this month during celebrations of the Royal Challengers Bangalore winning the IPL title. “The Marina air show was only one-and-a-half hours with no stalls. Yet, five people died. If we allow 10 days of pujas, darshans and crowd flow, we fear things could spiral out of control,” the police officer said.

The Tamil Nadu government also argued that the Hindu Munnai had failed to provide adequate responses to the police’s questions, even as the right-wing body claimed it had submitted all the required information.

After hearing the arguments from both sides, Justice B Pugalendhi directed the Hindu Munnani to file a fresh response while telling the police to take a final call on the matter by June 12. The court allowed the group to continue building miniatures but said no religious rituals could be held at the site till further orders. The next hearing in the case is slated for June 13.

A senior officer involved with the preparations said the Arupadai Veedu are being brought in and are operating as full-fledged temples with regular pujas. “Setting up these temple replicas itself will attract huge crowds as thousands of devotees will throng for darshan. This has forced us to impose restrictions,” he said.