Updated: October 28, 2020 9:40:41 pm
Several BJP workers were detained by police on Tuesday during a protest against Thirumavalavan. (Twitter / BJP4TamilNadu)
The BJP, which had no problems before the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections in 2021, is getting help with the Manusmriti outbreak in the state. In his speech delivered at a small online event titled ‘Periyar and Indian Politics’, Dalit leader and Viduthalai chief Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Thirumavalavan, quoting Manusmriti, said: “What does the Sanatana Hindu Dharma say about women? Women are basically created by God as prostitutes. All women are prostitutes, according to the Hindu dharma … Manu dharma. “
The objection is the use of the word “prostitute”, which many argue is a speaker’s interpretation of an ancient text, or possibly one of the many published translations of Manusmriti.
Soon, BJP leader Khushbu Sundar requested an apology from the leader. After A Ashwathaman, the secretary of state of BJP’s legal cell filed a complaint, the Chennai City Police registered Thirumavalavan under Sections 153, 153 (A) (1) (a), 295 A, 298 , 505 (1) (b) and 505. (2) of the IPC.
How have Thirumavalavan and the main opposition led by DMK reacted?
Thirumavalavan clarified that his words were being misinterpreted and distorted to portray him as a leader against the interests of women. The VCK chief said that his party was fighting for the empowerment of women and that the disinformation campaign was to create a stir within the DMK-led alliance before the elections. In addition, VCK had called for the ban of Manusmriti in India and had organized protests, he recalled.
Ally DMK, however, was more measured in her reaction. The head of the party, MK Stalin, did not refer to Manusmriti, but demanded the withdrawal of the “false cases” charged against Thirumavalavan. He said the police should have reserved religious fanatics and bigots who misinterpreted and distorted, not Thirumavalavan. 📣 Express Explained is now on Telegram
Other opposition allies, MDMK leader Vaiko and CPI (M) also urged the Chennai police to drop the case against Thirumavalavan and claimed that the leader was citing an old text and that it has several aspects that demean women. and to the weakest sectors of society.
Why is BJP interested in the topic?
Unlike Kerala, where the BJP goes so far as to attack both the ruling CPI (M) and the opposition Congress, the BJP Tamil Nadu unit has limited canvas to address issues while ruling in the Center, while ally AIADMK he has been in power in the state for almost a decade.
In such a scenario, the Manusmriti controversy has been a successful political move in mainstream Tamil politics. A senior BJP leader said they see a possibility of consolidating Hindu votes in Tamil Nadu. Thirumavalavan’s troubled speech has presented a golden opportunity.
Furthermore, the controversy arose prior to a statewide BJP campaign to consolidate Hindu votes through a campaign titled “Vetri Vel”, scheduled to begin on November 6. Following the model of Rath Yatras, with formal permission from the state government, the campaign would cover the six main temples of Lord Muruga in the state, including Palani, Swamimalai and Pazhamudircholai. The Vetri Vel yatra, hopes the leadership of the BJP, will help consolidate the Hindu votes.
Who benefits from the Manusmriti controversy?
Khushbu Sundar, the actor-turned-politician who recently joined the BJP from Congress, has used the line to make a quick and highly visible entry into the saffron. Police detained her on Tuesday as she was on her way to Chidambaram to organize a protest against Thirumavalavan.
For the Dravidian DMK party and its allies, including the Dalit, left and Tamil nationalist parties, which are widely known for their atheistic, anti-Brahmanic and anti-Hindi positions in electoral politics, the Manusmriti controversy is not easy to handle. before the state. elections. While the BJP has been constantly trying to blow up the proportions of the Sabarimala problem in Kerala, the DMK has been cautious in its reactions.
The dispute has also helped the BJP divert attention from a more crucial issue, the alleged delay by the state governor in consenting to a bill that guarantees a 7.5 percent reserve on medical admissions for public school students who passed the NEET. The bill was approved unanimously by all political parties in the Assembly, but the Governor retained it. Both the opposition and the state government had been monitoring the status of the bill.
“Thirumavalavan could have apologized for using the word prostitute. We did not turn it into a controversy, it was his false pride and anti-religious sentiments that made this a controversy. We will continue our protests to expose their anti-Hindu stance, ”said a BJP, suggesting that the opposition had played this new controversy into their hands.
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