The high court had expressed concerns over the blending of religion and politics and issued specific instructions — notable among them was that political speeches should not be part of the event.
Published Jun 22, 2025 | 3:30 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 22, 2025 | 3:30 PM
Murugan devotees from Madurai attended the conference.
Synopsis: A large-scale gathering titled Murugan Devotees Conference, organised jointly by the Hindu Munnani and the BJP in the Madurai district, sparked political debates across the state. While DMK allies accused the BJP of using this as a political platform, the saffron party and the Hindu Munnani maintain that it is only a spiritual gathering.
A large-scale gathering titled Murugan Devotees Conference was organised on Sunday, 22 June, jointly by the Hindu Munnani and the BJP near Vandiyur tollgate in the Madurai district of Tamil Nadu. The event, which had been in the works for over a month, sparked political debates across the state.
A case was filed in the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court against the conference, resulting in several restrictions. While DMK allies accused the BJP of using this as a political platform, the saffron party and the Hindu Munnani maintain that it is only a spiritual gathering for Murugan devotees.
South First visited the event to understand the on-ground situation.
At the event site, structures representing the six abodes of Lord Murugan — Thirupparankundram, Thiruchendur, Palani, Pazhamudircholai, Thiruthani, and Swamimalai — were installed. Each of these replicas includes a sanctum sanctorum and is designed to function like an actual temple, with rituals and worship. The event on Sunday was preceded by a few days of exhibitions at the event venue.
A poster of the Murugan Devotees’ event in Madurai.
The final event on Sunday witnessed the participation of several leaders of the BJP and Hindu Munnani. The high court had granted permission for the event to proceed, with specific guidelines to prevent political speeches.
At the venue, several visitors were seen worshipping the replicas with the same devotion as they would in the original temples.
Kumaravel Achari, a resident of Madurai attending the event, told South First, “Seeing all six abodes of Murugan in one place is a joyful experience. I thank the BJP for making this happen. It is because of the BJP that the Hindu community in Tamil Nadu has awakened. No other party has done anything for Hindus. The Hindu community became united and progressive only after Modi came to power.”
He also mentioned that he works as a booth agent for the BJP.
Vijayalakshmi, who came with a group from Sengulam in Thirumangalam, said, “We received the information through messages on the phone. It is wonderful to see all six abodes in one place. This is not something we usually get to see. We are grateful to the organisers who made this possible.”
When asked about allegations of political motives behind the event, she told South First, “We don’t know about all that. Let them do whatever they want. For us, Murugan is the only reason we’re here.”
Invitations for the Murugan conference had been widely circulated through area-specific WhatsApp groups across Tamil Nadu. While Hindu Munnani is officially organising the event, the BJP has been campaigning vigorously on the ground — through digital invites, printed notices and door-to-door outreach using the name of Lord Murugan.
Vanchinathan filed a petition in the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court.
Earlier, a case was filed by advocate S Vanchinathan in the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court seeking a ban on the event, claiming it was a political campaign disguised as a religious gathering. The court issued several crucial guidelines in response.
Speaking to South First, Vanchinathan said, “They claim that this is not political, but that is clearly misleading.”
He pointed to a recent speech by Union Minister L Murugan, reported in Tamil Hindu on 12 June, in which the minister allegedly said, “Lord Murugan will chase the DMK out in the 2026 Assembly elections.”
He also cited remarks by Hindu Munnani leader Kadeswaram Subramanian, as reported in another newspaper, stating that “Those who speak against Hindus will disappear by the 2026 elections.” Vanchinathan questioned the link between Lord Murugan and the 2026 elections and said this was the basis for his petition in the high court.
He further criticised the organisers, saying they have never protested for any real issues faced by the residents of Madurai or its surrounding areas. “Once, they tried to stir controversy around the Thiruparankundram hill. Now, they are again using Murugan for political ends,” he alleged.
Allegations emerged that slogans were raised against Dravidian parties.
Meanwhile, the high court expressed concerns over the blending of religion and politics and issued specific instructions — notable among them was that political speeches should not be part of the event.
Earlier, the court had also mandated that outstation vehicles arriving for the conference must obtain e-passes, but this directive was later revoked in a subsequent petition filed by Hindu Munnani.
Despite continuing allegations that the BJP is politicising the event, BJP Tamil Nadu President Nainar Nagendran reiterated that the gathering was not a political conference but a spiritual one, intended for Murugan devotees. He also mentioned the organising committee’s decision of not allowing political speeches.
Vanchinathan compared the event to how Lord Ram was used for political mobilisation in Uttar Pradesh, warning that similar strategies are now being employed in Tamil Nadu using Lord Murugan. He urged both the Tamil Nadu government and judiciary not to permit the mixing of religion and politics.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
