Day after Tamil Nadu's BJP unit tweets picture of Thiruvalluvar with saffron clothes, statue of poet found vandalised near Thanjavur
On Monday, a statue of Tamil poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar was vandalised by some miscreants near Thanjavur

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On Monday, a statue of Tamil poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar was vandalised by some miscreants near Thanjavur
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This comes, day after BJP came under fire for its tweeting out a picture of Tamil poet wearing a saffron shawl instead of the usual white, with holy ash smeared on his forehead on Sunday
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Many Dravidian groups, political parties Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Communist Party of India (CPM) criticised the move with the hashtag of #BJPInsultsThiruvalluvar
On Monday, a statue of Tamil poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar was vandalised by some miscreants near Thanjavur, reported CNN-News18. The statue, located near a building owned by Pillayapatti Panchayat, was found blackened with the mud and a paper pasted covering the eyes. Tamil University police personnel rushed to the spot, cleaned the statue and garlanded it.
Meanwhile, a group of Thiruvalluvar enthusiasts gathered near the statue and raised slogans condemning the desecration, demanding the arrest of those who vandalised the statue.
DMK leader Kanimozhi condemned the event, saying "Thiruvalluvar is not just a statue. Valluvam is a living room. Valluvam will live even after the statue has disappeared."
வள்ளுவர் சிலையை சேதப்படுத்தலாம். ஆனால் அதை செய்த மூடர்கள் ஒன்றை புரிந்துக் கொள்ள வேண்டும். திருவள்ளுவர் என்பவர் சிலை மட்டும் இல்லை. வள்ளுவம் என்பது வாழ்வியல் அறம். சிலையை சேதப்படுத்தியவர்கள் மறைந்து மண்ணோடு போனபின்பும் வள்ளுவம் வாழும்.#திருவள்ளுவர் pic.twitter.com/UWg4YpVBD8
— Kanimozhi (கனிமொழி) (@KanimozhiDMK) November 4, 2019
This comes a day after BJP came under fire for its tweeting out a picture of Tamil poet wearing a saffron shawl instead of the usual white, with holy ash smeared on his forehead on Sunday. Many Dravidian groups, political parties like Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Communist Party of India (CPM) criticised the move with the hashtag of #BJPInsultsThiruvalluvar. The photo was tweeted with a caption that was picked up from a couplet from the book Thirukkural, which translates to: “What profit have those derived from learning, who worship not the good feet of him who is possessed of pure knowledge?”
கற்றதனால் ஆய பயனென்கொல் வாலறிவன்
நற்றாள் தொழாஅர் எனின்கடவுளை தூற்றி, இறைநம்பிக்கை கொண்டவர்களை பழிப்பவர்களுக்கு, அவர்கள் கற்ற கல்வியினால் என்ன பயன்?
அன்றே வள்ளுவர் சொன்னதை இன்று தி.கவும், திமுகவை நம்பி வாழும் கம்யூனிஸ்டுட்களும், அவர்கள் சார்ந்த ஊடகங்களும் அறிந்து தெளிய வேண்டும் pic.twitter.com/xBeXs9aXHa
— BJP Tamilnadu (@BJP4TamilNadu) November 2, 2019
Reacting to the tweet, president of DMK, MK Stalin lashed out at the saffron party's attempts to saffronise Thiruvalluvar, calling it 'Tamil betrayal'. Stalin told the BJP the colour would run off even if it was dyed several times. "Instead of dyeing, read Thirukkural and try to reform," Stalin responded.
'பிறப்பொக்கும் எல்லா உயிர்க்கும்' என்ற வள்ளுவரை, காவிக்கூட்டம் தனது கட்சிக்கு கச்சை கட்டத் துணைக்கு அழைப்பது தமிழ்த் துரோகம்!
எத்தனை வர்ணம் பூசினாலும், உங்கள் வர்ண சாயம் வெளுத்துவிடும்.
சாயம் பூசுவதை விடுத்து, திருக்குறள் படித்து திருந்தப் பாருங்கள்!#BJPInsultsThiruvalluvar
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) November 3, 2019
The BJP hit back at Stalin, by challenging him to recite any stanza from Thiruvalluvar’s couplets without mistake or retire from politics.
"யாகாவார் ஆயினும் நாகாக்க காவாக்கால்
சோகாப்பர் சொல்லிழுக்குப் பட்டு"இந்த எளிய குறளை தப்பும் தவறுமின்றி இரண்டு முறை சரியாக பொருளுடன் உச்சரித்தால், அந்த பதிவை நீக்கி விடுகிறோம் @mkstalin#திராவிடமாயை#துண்டுச்சீட்டு https://t.co/24V9oLcgQO
— BJP Tamilnadu (@BJP4TamilNadu) November 3, 2019
According to the Indian Express, the CPM said in a statement, “Nobody in the past had ever tried to appropriate Thiruvalluvar for their political gains. The BJP trying to appropriate Thiruvalluvar by changing his dress should be strongly condemned.”
The CPM and DMK were not alone, several others too reacted on Twitter to the alleged saffronisation of Thiruvalluvar with '#BJPInsultsThiruvalluvar' trending on the social media application nationwide.
Now its clear ! They don't have anything to quote from sanskrit or hindi. they chose to quote from tamil. As they started to mention tamil everywhere people all around the world searching tamil literatures. So this sanghis now starting to saffronise thiruvalluvar https://t.co/ppBSirJ8L4
— மெட்ராஸ்காரன் 💙❤◼ (@advocatearuldev) November 3, 2019
BJP the party without history, is trying to twist history for political gains. Even the Hindus will move away from BJP, if such cheap politics continues . @BJP4TamilNadu beware. This is not Hindi mainland #BJPInsultsThiruvalluvar
— மோகன் | Mohan (@mohan_tmp) November 3, 2019
#BJPInsultsThiruvalluvar pic.twitter.com/HChtIjjIg8
— Bharath (@bharath_selva10) November 4, 2019
Saffron to Gandhiji..! Saffron to Ambedkar..! Now Saffron to Thiruvalluvar..?😡😠#BJPInsultsThiruvalluvar pic.twitter.com/OxH1N3Qilx
— 🍂பிரதாப் ஜெகநாதன்🍃 (@prathapradio) November 3, 2019
With inputs from agencies
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