News Brief
Kuldeep Negi
Jan 01, 2025, 11:23 AM | Updated 11:23 AM IST
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In Kerala, a sharp ideological battle unfolded on Tuesday (31 December) as Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s remarks on Sree Narayana Guru's legacy have sparked a sharp reaction from BJP leader V Muraleedharan.
Vijayan on Tuesday cautioned against “organised efforts” to portray the sage-social reformer Sree Narayana Guru, who advocated “one caste, one religion and one God for people”, as a proponent of Sanatana Dharma.
He said the Guru was a saint who reconstructed Sanatana Dharma and trying to fix him in the framework of Sanatana Dharma was a great insult to him.
Inaugurating a conference held as part of the Sivagiri pilgrimage, Vijayan endorsed a proposal by Swami Satchidananda, president of the Sree Narayana Dharma Sangham Trust, advocating for the abolition of the tradition that prevents men from covering their upper bodies while entering temples.
“Attempts to downplay Sree Narayana Guru as a mere religious leader or a religious saint must be resisted. It should be understood that the Guru had no religion and no caste,” the CM said, Times of India reported.
He asked people to be vigilant against attempts to present the Guru as an advocate of whatever he fought against.
Responding to Vijayan's remarks, former union minister and BJP leader V Muraleedharan accused the Kerala CM of insulting Sanatana Dharma at the sacred site of Sivagiri.
He claimed the CM’s actions disrespected the followers of Sree Narayana Guru.
He said any attempt to reduce Sanatana Dharma to casteism would find no acceptance in Kerala society.
Referring to Vijayan’s remarks as an extension of Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s call for the eradication of Sanatana Dharma, Muraleedharan questioned, “Will Vijayan dare to pass such comments on the Holy Quran or any other faith?”
Muraleedharan alleged that Kerala’s Hindu community had endured unprecedented challenges under Vijayan’s leadership.
He accused the Chief Minister of undermining religious practices at sacred sites such as Sabarimala and major events like Thrissur Pooram, asserting that Vijayan lacked the moral authority to critique the Hindu community.
Kuldeep is Senior Editor (Newsroom) at Swarajya. He tweets at @kaydnegi.