Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi
Credit: PTI Photo
Chennai: The Tamil Nadu unit of the CPI on Saturday accused Governor R N Ravi of converting the Raj Bhavan into a political party office through his alleged attempt to saffronise Tamil savant Thiruvalluvar.
The Communist party's state secretary, R Mutharasan claimed that the Governor was trying to disturb peace in the state.
The latest attempt was to portray Thiruvalluvar in saffron robes with religious symbols, Mutharasan said in a statement referring to the image printed on the Raj Bhavan invitation for a two-day multi-lingual international seminar on "A comparative study on Saint Thiruvalluvar - Kabir Das- Yogi Vemana," held today.
In the image, the Tamil saint was shown wearing rudraksha beads with sacred ash smeared on his forehead. Thiruvalluvar has been depicted only in white robes in the state.
Calling upon the people to reject the Governor's attempt to saffronise Thiruvalluvar, V Ranganathan, president, Tamil Nadu Association for Trained Archakas, said some people would not change even if Thiruvalluvar himself came alive and clarified.
"The Governor will affix a saffron sticker on Thiruvalluvar, the oldest symbol of Tamil society," he said in a statement and condemned the depiction of the poet in saffron robes.
Inaugurating the seminar, the Governor quoted verses of Mahakavi Bharathiyar which meant that "Bharat Mata speaks in different languages, but her soul is one," to emphasise the unity beneath India's diversity.
He highlighted how great saints from across India - Thiruvalluvar, Kabir Das, and Yogi Vemana - shared a common, timeless wisdom that defines "Bharat as a Dharmic Rashtra." "Bharat transcends caste, creed, and religion, and cannot be properly understood through Western frameworks of a political state," Governor Ravi said.
Also, he noted that in the past decade, Bharat has risen with renewed pride and confidence, inspired by its heritage, and stressed the importance of inspiring today’s youth to embrace this legacy.
"This seminar aims at deepening our understanding, celebrating our shared heritage, and strengthening the unity that binds us as a Kutumbam," Ravi said.
In May 2024, the Governor paid floral tributes to a portrait of Thiruvalluvar in which the saint was shown in saffron with rudrakasha and even then, it was opposed by parties.
For several years now, the BJP had often depicted Thiruvalluvar in saffron clothes and the party leaders had claimed that he was a Hindu saint, which stoked controversies.