However, neither the complaint nor the FIR named Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, who was the chief guest of the event.
Published Jul 03, 2025 | 1:18 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 03, 2025 | 1:18 PM
An image from Murugan Devotees' Conference held in Madurai.
Synopsis: The Tamil Nadu Police filed an FIR against BJP leaders Nainar Nagendran and K Annamalai, and several senior leaders of the Hindu Munnani, RSS and other Sangh Parivar outfits for allegedly inciting communal hatred during the “Murugan Devotees’ Conference” held in Madurai on 22 June. It has not named Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, who was the chief guest of the event.
The Tamil Nadu Police filed an FIR against Tamil Nadu BJP President Nainar Nagendran, the party’s former state president K Annamalai, and several senior leaders of the Hindu Munnani, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and other Sangh Parivar outfits for allegedly inciting communal hatred. The case stems from their remarks during the “Murugan Devotees’ Conference” held in Madurai on 22 June.
The complaint, filed by Advocate C Vanjinathan on behalf of the Madurai Madha Nallinakka Makkal Kootamaipu (Interfaith People’s Coalition), accused the organisers of promoting hate speech, targeting minorities, and politicising religious gatherings in violation of constitutional safeguards and court orders.
The FIR, registered at the E3 Anna Nagar (Law & Order) Police Station in Madurai City, stated that inflammatory speeches and resolutions passed at the conference were aimed at vilifying Muslims and Christians, spreading Islamophobic rhetoric, and urging Hindus not to vote for politicians who are “anti-Hindu.”
However, neither the complaint nor the FIR named Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, who was the chief guest of the event.
The event also reportedly included calls to demolish certain religious structures, references to “bulldozer justice” as seen in Uttar Pradesh, and claims that minority populations would overtake Hindus demographically by 2055. The speeches, according to the complaint, went beyond religious expression and directly threatened communal harmony.
Others named in the FIR are Kadeswara C Subramaniyam (Hindu Munnani president), Muthukumar (Hindu Munnani state secretary), RSS South India leader Vanniyavarajan and Siravai Aadheenam seer Kumaragurubha Swamy. The complainant has argued that the organisers violated provisions of the Religious Institutions (Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1988, by using a religious gathering for overt political and communal purposes.
The police have booked the accused under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including 196(1)(a) for promoting enmity on religious grounds, 299 and 302 for public mischief and attempt to commit a punishable offence, and 353(1)(b) and 353(2) for incitement and provocation. Section 7 of the Religious Institutions (Prevention of Misuse) Act has also been invoked.
Citing the Supreme Court’s 2004 judgment in the State of Karnataka vs Praveen Togadia case, the complaint stresses that religious freedom cannot be a shield for activities that endanger public peace and unity.
The coalition had earlier submitted a petition to district authorities on June 16, requesting pre-emptive monitoring of the event, anticipating that such rhetoric could endanger Madurai’s communal fabric.
The FIR was registered at 6.00 pm on 30 June and has been forwarded to the VIth Judicial Magistrate Court, Madurai. An investigation is underway.
Earlier, speaking to the media, Vanjinathan condemned the police for not acting on the high court’s directives. He insisted that the court should initiate suo motu contempt proceedings against the organisers for undermining judicial authority.
Vanjinathan also criticised the BJP’s consistent effort to portray all Tamils as Hindus and politicise Lord Murugan’s identity, stating: “Why say ‘Murugan is Hindu’ and mix it with ‘Ram Rajya’? Are H Raja, Nirmala Sitharaman, and Mohan Bhagwat going to eat meat with us and still say they are Hindus? Will H Raja remove his sacred thread and speak? Will Nirmala Sitharaman talk after eating garlic and onions? Will they tolerate such a portrayal if the roles were reversed?”
He also slammed the organisers’ declaration that Tamil Nadu would be ‘cleansed of Dravidianism’, calling it a veiled attack on Tamil social reform icons like Periyar and CN Annadurai, and accused the BJP and Hindu Munnani of weaponising religion to attack Tamil cultural identity.
In a pointed remark, Vanjinathan criticised the silence of AIADMK leaders, including ministers, and questioned the dignity and self-respect of those still allied with the BJP.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil with inputs from Subash Chandra Bose.)
