A DMK leader on Saturday stirred up controversy after he said there is no evidence to prove the existence of Lord Ram.
Tamil Nadu’s Transport Minister SS Sivasankar, during an address in Ariyalur on the occasion of Chola emperor Rajendra Chola’s birth anniversary, said, “We must celebrate the birthday anniversary of our great ruler Rajendra Chola, who made our land proud. We should celebrate his birthday; otherwise, people may be compelled to celebrate something that has no connection or evidence to them.”
The minister added that Rajendra Chola’s enduring legacy is evident through the ponds he built, the temples he commissioned, and the numerous references to him in scripts, sculptures, and artifacts.
“But there is no evidence or historical record of Lord Ram’s existence. They call him (Ram) an avatar. An avatar can’t be born. It is being done to manipulate us, hide our history, and present another history as superior,” he further claimed.
This is not the first time leaders from the southern state have riled up the opposition party BJP by making such comments. Last year, Udhayanadhi Stalin, son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, came under fire for likening Sanatan Dharma to ‘dengue’.
BJP hits back
Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai took a dig at state Transport Minister S S Sivasankar for contradicting his Cabinet colleague on Lord Ram’s existence and asked the Ministers to reach a consensus on Lord Ram.
Posting a video of Sivasankar making the controversial remark, Annamalai remarked on X, “DMK’s sudden obsession with Bhagwan Shri Ram is truly a sight to behold — who would’ve thought?” In the video the Minister, while speaking at King Rajendra Chola’s birth anniversary in Ariyalur, claimed that ponds and temples constructed during Rajendra Chola’s reign showed that the king lived. “But there is no evidence of history mentioning that Ram existed,” Sivasankar said at the event.
Taking exception to the remark, Annamalai said in a lengthy post that last week DMK Law Minister S Reghupathy declared that Lord Ram was the ultimate champion of social justice, the pioneer of secularism, and the one who proclaimed equality for all. But now, the Transport Minister boldly asserted that Lord Ram never existed, Annamalai said.
It was high time the DMK Ministers: Raghupathy and Sivashankar, sat down, debated, and arrived at a consensus on Lord Ram, the BJP leader suggested.
With inputs from PTI
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‘No evidence of Lord Ram’s existence’, says DMK minister; BJP asks party leaders to ‘sit and debate’
