‘Saffron’ Thiruvalluvar portrait removed after row at TN Agricultural University in Coimbatore

Officials replaced it with a portrait of the ancient poet in white attire that was approved by the State government, following media reports sparking a controversy

(Left) The portrait of Thiruvalluvar in saffron robes that was replaced with one of the poet in white robes (right)

The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) in Coimbatore removed the portrait of Tamil saint-poet Thiruvalluvar that depicted him donning saffron robes on Thursday, after media reports sparked a controversy.

Officials removed the portrait that was in the university’s library, on Thursday morning, and replaced it with a portrait of the ancient poet in white attire that was approved by the State government. Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare M.R.K. Panneerselvam said in a tweet that “as per preliminary investigations” the saffron-clad portrait was installed in 2017-18. After speaking to the TNAU authorities, the official portrait of Thiruvalluvar was installed “in the same spot,” the Minister tweeted.

K. Ramakrishnan, general secretary of Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam, who had previously demanded the installation of the approved portrait of Thiruvalluvar at TNAU, alleged that the saffron-clad image was an attempt by “communal forces to identify Thiruvalluvar with a religion.”

An official from the TNAU told

The Hindu on Thursday that the previous saffron-clad Thiruvalluvar portrait was installed in the library over four years ago during renovation work and asserted that the act was “not intentional” in any manner.