Chennai, June 23 (IANS) The Communist Party of India (CPI) has launched a scathing attack on the recently held Murugan Devotees’ Conference in Madurai, accusing organisers of using religious devotion as a cover to advance communal and divisive political ideologies.

In a strongly worded statement issued on Monday, CPI Tamil Nadu State Secretary R. Mutharasan criticised the event, alleging that it was orchestrated with the support of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its affiliate Hindu Munnani.

While the organisers projected the conference as a spiritual gathering, Mutharasan contended that it was deeply political in nature and rooted in Hindutva ideology inspired by the writings of V.D. Savarkar. “The RSS, which does not function as a political party, is ideologically linked to forces behind Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination. It has never gained significant traction in Tamil Nadu due to the state’s rationalist, self-respect, and socialist foundations,” he said.

Tracing the origins of Hindu Munnani to the early 1980s following the religious conversion incident in Meenakshipuram, Mutharasan said its founder, Ramagopalan, was notorious for fanning communal tensions. He alleged that the current event fits into a broader pattern of attempting to communalise Tamil society by invoking Murugan, a deity revered by all Tamils irrespective of caste or religion.

Citing incidents such as the forcible disruption of a minority family’s private worship in Erode and the recent tensions surrounding the Tirupparankundram hillock, the CPI leader accused right-wing groups of weaponising religious symbolism to foster social divisions. Mutharasan also criticised the participation of senior RSS and BJP leaders, including Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Jana Sena Party founder Pawan Kalyan, for politicising the conference.

He noted that political speeches and resolutions, including one that called for the formation of a “Hindu vote bank,” violated the Election Commission’s model code of conduct and defied the spirit of a recent High Court directive prohibiting the fusion of religious and political platforms.

Calling on the public to reject what it termed a “communal frenzy masquerading as devotion,” the CPI reaffirmed its commitment to secularism. It cited the Keeladi archaeological findings and the age-old Tamil philosophy of “Yaadhum Oore Yaavarum Kelir” as enduring symbols of the state’s inclusive and pluralistic ethos.

–IANS

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