E V Ramasamy, commonly known as Periyar is currently in the news after movie star Rajinikanth spoke about Periyar’s 1971 anti-Hindu rally in which he recalled how the former (Periyar) had taken out a rally in 1971 with Lord Rama and Sita without clothes and wearing garlands of footwear.

Rajinikanth who was pressurised by Periyar fans to apologise, refused to do so and reiterated that he merely quoted facts which were reported by popular magazine Tughlak,

While defending Rajinikanth during a Times Now debate, author and columnist Anand Ranganathan listed out how Periyar and his followers defiled Hinduism and Hindu gods.

Ranganathan argued that Rajinikanth has nothing to apologise for. He quoted from Periyar's Critique of Priestly Hinduism and its Implications for Social Reforms, written by Rev S Robertson, which talked about a “superstition eradication” conference organised by Periyar in 1971.

In this conference at Salem, Lord Ram’s image was beaten by sandals, his effigy burnt publicly and Hindu deities obscenely portrayed and Brahmins slandered.

He added that, “Periyar was an iconoclast who thrived on acrimony, spitefulness and rancour..Periyar never gathered the courage like Ambedkar did to criticise the regressive practices of religions other than Hinduism”.

“Periyar praised Abrahamic religions, wanted Hindus to convert to Islam”, Ranganathan added.