Chennai: A DMK member’s allusion to bhakti as the fluctuations of a share market put him in a spot when cooperation minister Sellur K. Raju demanded to know from him why the family members of the opposition party (DMK) leader visited temple after temple.
While participating in the debate on the demand for grants for the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) department in the Assembly on Wednesday, K. Radhamani representing Vikkravandi Assembly constituency in Villupuram district, almost ridiculed those visiting temples and remarked people went to temple either because of distress or joy. “Poet-lyricist Kannadasan was an atheist but became a devotee... bhakti is like a share market. It will wax and wane. People visit temples when they are elated and more frequently when they experience anguish,” he said.
Intervening, Mr Raju sought to know why the family members of the Opposition party leader visited temple after temple. At this the DMK members stood up and shouted and were met with equal decibel from the AIADMK members. The Assembly House plunged in chaos for about 15 minutes in the evening when the DMK legislators continued to protest the Minister’s remark. Mr. Raju however explained that Radhamani attempted to depict the plight of devotees in distasteful manner and he should not have ridiculed those visiting temples.
When the DMK members declined to buy his explanation, Speaker P. Dhanapal said the Minister had not meant anything wrong. Joining him, revenue minister R. B. Udhayakumar said visiting temple is matter of faith and Mr. Raju had said nothing wrong. “In fact the DMK members are trying to spoil the general atmosphere of celebrating the first 100 days of rule of the AIADMK government led by Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa,” Mr. Udhayakumar said.
When Mr Dhanapal declined to expunge the ministers’ remarks, Radhamani staged a volt face saying he too visited temples. He wanted the state government to provide guest houses for Sabarimala pilgrims and also establish state transport corporation bus depot at the border to help Ayyappa devotees.
