The State government’s decision to rename the Tamil Nadu House in New Delhi has triggered a political controversy with DMK leader M.K. Stalin and Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi founder T. Velmurugan slamming the move on Sunday.
In a statement issued here, Mr. Stalin, who is also the Leader of Opposition, alleged that with the renaming of the Tamil Nadu House as ‘Vaigai - Tamil Nadu Illam’ and ‘Pothigai - Tamil Nadu Illam’, the Hindutva rulers at the Centre had fulfilled their burning desire to stamp out the values and identity of the Tamil nation steeped in history.
He questioned the need for changing the name of Tamil Nadu House while other States continued to retain their original name for the Houses in Delhi.
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The State government had first changed the names to Vaigai Tamil Illam and Pothigai Tamil Illam on Friday but on Saturday included the word “Nadu”.
“The BJP government does not want the majestic name Tamil Nadu, and Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, who trembles at the dictates of the Centre, had enacted the drama. Tamil Nadu represents the feeling of 7.5 crore Tamils and is painful that the Chief Minister has changed the name to make his bosses in Delhi happy. It is highly condemnable,” he claimed.
Recalling the historical resolution moved by DMK founder C.N. Annadurai in Tamil Nadu Assembly to rename the Madras Presidency as Tamil Nadu, Mr. Stalin said by changing the names of the Tamil Nadu House, the AIADMK government had done grave injustice to Tamils across the globe and Annadurai.
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‘Erasing Tamils’
“What has been done is an onslaught on the Tamil’s traditional pride. Instead of citing useless reasons, the government should stop renaming Tamil Nadu House. Mr. Palaniswami should not bow to those who are not ready to use the word Tamil Nadu,” Mr. Stalin said.
Separately, Mr. Velmurugan on Sunday condemned the move to rename the Tamil Nadu House in Delhi and accused the BJP government at the Centre of trying to erase Tamils from the country.
Mr. Velmurugan also condemned and warned Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami against betraying the people of Tamil Nadu and said that they would never forgive him for becoming a stooge of the BJP.
“This name change is the first step of the Modi government that is keen on destroying the Tamil race. There is no pardon to the Palaniswami government for this,” he claimed.