Veteran Tamil actor Sathyaraj has come down heavily on Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan for his controversial remarks targeting atheists and secularists during a recent BJP-organized “Murugan Manadu” event in Tamil Nadu. Speaking at a Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) program, Sathyaraj warned, “If Pawan thinks he can fool Tamils in the name of Murugan, it only shows his lack of understanding. Such religious games won’t work here.”
Sathyaraj’s comments reflect the broader backlash Pawan Kalyan is facing from political and social circles in Tamil Nadu. DMK leaders were quick to condemn his remarks. Minister Sekar Babu lashed out, questioning Pawan’s involvement in Tamil politics and challenging him to contest in the state if he truly believes in what he says. “Don’t try to create communal unrest in our land. Tamil Nadu has no place for such divisive politics,” he said.
The uproar began after Pawan, while addressing the Murugan Manadu, criticized so-called secularists and atheists, accusing them of consistently mocking Hindu deities and working to undermine Sanatana Dharma. He praised Lord Murugan as a cultural icon of Tamil identity and claimed that “devotion will respond to these insults—not with violence, but with strength and unity.”
Pawan’s comments, seen by many as an attempt to stir religious sentiment in a politically sensitive state, have not only invited criticism from Tamil Nadu’s leaders and intellectuals but also sparked debate on the boundaries of faith and politics across southern India.
