Saffron Shawl Found Draped Over MGR Statue In Chengalpattu, AIADMK Cries Foul

The statue of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) founder and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran, popularly known as MGR, was found to be draped with a saffron shawl in Chengalpattu district of Tamil Nadu on Thursday.

After the incident came to light, AIADMK members expressed concerns over the matter and staged a protest. Local AIADMK leaders also demanded a police investigation into the matter.

MGR served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu from 1977 until his death in 1987.

‘Saffronisation’ of MGR statues
Notably, this is not the first time that such an incident has taken place with respect to MGR’s statue. In a similar incident in December 2022, a saffron scarf was spotted to be draped over MGR’s statue near the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court in Chennai. Following this, AIADMK party cadres lodged a complaint in the matter.

Earlier in July 2020, a statue of MGR was found draped with a saffron shawl in Puducherry. The incident did not go well with the party cadres, who staged a protest against the incident. AIADMK leaders also demanded strict action against the culprits.

AIADMK-BJP rift in Tamil Nadu
The incident comes close on the heels of severed ties between AIADMK and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Tamil Nadu. AIADMK on Monday, September 25, broke all ties with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The decision was reportedly prompted by the saffron party’s consistent issuance of what the AIADMK deemed “inappropriate statements concerning AIADMK’s former leaders”.

The move came after senior AIADMK leaders called on BJP chief JP Nadda in Delhi and informed him about the ground situation in the state, which they alleged arose out of the BJP’s Tamil Nadu chief K Annamalai’s “aggressive style of politics”. The AIADMK leader reportedly sought an apology from Annamalai for ‘insulting’ Dravidian icon CN Annadurai.