Chennai: (Jan 16) Tamil Nadu Minister TRB Rajaa slammed the BJP, stating that the party does not understand Tamil Nadu nor make an effort to understand Tamils.
Delhi does not have any clue about Tamil Nadu and the Tamil festivals, the industries minister said.
His comments came in the backdrop of Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday extending his greetings to the people of Tamil Nadu as ‘Thiruvalluvar Day’ instead of ‘Pongal Day.
Pongal, the state’s biggest festival, is on Thursday, while Thiruvalluvar Day is on Friday, based on the solar calculation and the Tamil calendar, and not the English calendar dates, said Raja.
“Tamil does not need ceremonial praise. It asks for knowledge and understanding. And Delhi should try to start with that,” he said.
He also wondered if a similar mistake occurred when Union minister of state L Murugan hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Pongal celebrations in his Delhi residence on Wednesday.“Now, one also wonders if the Pongal celebrations yesterday in Delhi were also a miscalculation without application of mind and not a date accommodation to enable senior leaders to attend,” he added.
Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson ANS Prasad defended Shah in a statement. “This morning, the Union home minister shared greetings on his X account, initially referencing Thiruvalluvar Day in connection with the Pongal festivities. This post was subsequently updated or removed to align with the customary sequence of wishing for “Thai Pongal” today and Thiruvalluvar Day tomorrow. This reflects thoughtful consideration and respect for Tamil sentiments and traditions, without any intended malice,” he said.
