“It is always better to highlight their (leaders’) positive contributions rather than engage in unnecessary criticisms that only draw unwanted debates,” he said. Meanwhile, former AIADMK minister S P Velumani, who drew criticism from the ruling DMK, for attending an RSS event on Monday, told the media that he went to participate in the Perur Aadheenam Santhalinga Ramasamy Adigalar’s centenary event and not an RSS function. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat was the special guest at the event.

On him and his elder brother presenting a statue of Lord Murugan and a vel (spear), Velumani said it was done since Bhagwat had visited the assembly constituency he represented. He said AIADMK will form alliances with many parties for the elections but will not compromise on its policies. A section of AIADMK functionaries and cadres from minority communities in Tiruchy and Pudukkottai, who TNIE spoke to on Monday, expressed their disappointment that the party’s senior leaders took part in the Hindu Munnani conference.

“This was not a neutral religious gathering like festivals. It was organised by groups with a history of playing polarising politics. Our leaders should have avoided it,” said a Muslim functionary from Thiruverumbur. Another leader from Beemanagar said, even while campaigning for the conference, the organisers said it was to protect against ‘Islamisation’ of the Thiruparankundram hill. They are just using AIADMK for their agenda, he alleged.

(With inputs from R Kirubakaran, M Saravanan and M Harini)

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