Can’t accept criticism of Annadurai and Periyar at Murugan conference: AIADMK

A video played at the conference said Hindu Munnani was formed to eradicate Dravidianism by displaying the pictures of Annadurai, Periyar, and M Karunanidhi, kicking up a major row.

Chennai: Under all-round attack for its leaders participating in the Muruga Bakthargalin Manadu (Murugan Devotees’ Conference) in Madurai, the AIADMK on Tuesday clarified that the party does not subscribe to the resolutions adopted at the meeting and condemned the organisers for screening a video that criticised E V R Periyar and C N Annadurai. 

AIADMK deputy floor leader in the Assembly, R B Udhayakumar, who was one of the participants as a “devotee of Lord Murugan”, said Tamil Nadu knows the decision party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami took after Annadurai and J Jayalalithaa came under criticism by former state BJP chief K Annamalai.

He was referring to the AIADMK walking out of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in 2023 following Annamalai’s constant attacks on Dravidian leaders. The AIADMK returned to the NDA within 18 months in April 2025 to face the 2026 polls along with the BJP. 

A video played at the conference, which was blatantly political, said Hindu Munnani, the organiser, was formed to eradicate Dravidianism by displaying the pictures of Annadurai, Periyar, and M Karunanidhi, kicking up a major row. The DMK sought to know whether the AIADMK has replaced “Anna with Amit Shah” in its name. 

AIADMK was represented by Udayakumar, Sellur K Raju, Kadambur Raju, and Rajendra Balaji with general secretary Palaniswami sending his wishes for the conference. 

“We participated in the conference as devotees of Lord Murugan. We believed that there won’t be any political statements or references at the conference. AIADMK is a party which'll never wither away from its ideology. We'll never compromise on our core ideology,” the AIADMK leader said. 

Udhayakumar said he and his colleagues came to know about the video only after the event was over since they were seated on the back of the dais.

“We didn’t watch the video and we never got the opportunity to condemn the actions of the organisers on the dais,” he added.  

Not just Udhayakumar, AMMK chief T T V Dhinakaran too condemned the criticism of Dravidian leaders at a “non-political event.”

Though the event was organised by Hindu Munnani, it was BJP leaders who dominated the stage.

The DMK, which has been highly critical of the conference calling it as a blatant attempt to communalise “peaceful” Tamil Nadu, also asked the AIADMK to explain why it did not protest against the insult to the legends at the conference, while it used former state chief K Annamalai’s attack against Anna in 2023 as an excuse to quit NDA. 

 “Do you know the person in white pointing a finger in the centre of your flag? It's Annadurai. Have you replaced Anna with Amit Shah?” it asked and criticised another senior leader S P Velumani for participating in an event organised by RSS in Coimbatore on Monday.