Hours after Madurai MP Su. Venkatesan condemned Airport Authorities of India for featuring a photograph of Adiyogi Shiva statue on its State-wise quarantine guidelines for COVID in Tamil Nadu, the photograph was replaced with that of famous Meenakshi Temple of Madurai, on Thursday.
AAI had used the photograph of Adiyogi Shiva statue of Isha Foundation, Coimbatore, for Tamil Nadu specific quarantine guidelines. Upon finding it in the online social media platforms, Mr. Venkatesan had condemned it for using the picture of the statue as representative image of Tamil Nadu.
“We cannot allow such practices as an ordinary issue. While AAI had used the photograph of heritage sites/cities of other States, why should it use Adiyogi Shiva Statue for Tamil Nadu. Does it represent Tamil Nadu?” Mr. Venkatesan asked.
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Stating that Tamil Nadu had one of the oldest cultures of the country and AAI using a photograph of a statue installed few years back was only misrepresenting Tamil culture and heritage.
“We have many monumental sites like Mamallapuram, Thanjavur Big Temple, Meenakshi Temple and Thiruvalluvar statue that represent Tamil language, culture and heritage,” he said.
He charged that the Centre was working overtime to change the image of Tamil Nadu even during the COVID-19 pandemic time.
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“The photograph used by AAI will instill a different perception about Tamil culture among people living outside Tamil Nadu, especially youths,” the Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP, said.
After he tweeted condemning AAI and sought to change the photograph immediately, AAI replaced it with the photograph of the South Tower of Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, late in the night.
The MP tweeted welcoming it.