TN Governor pays floral tributes to Thiruvalluvar in saffron attire; CM says no one can 'smear' poet

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi on Tuesday paid floral tributes to a portrait of Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar in saffron attire and Chief Minister M K Stalin asserted that no one could 'stain' the bard.

On the occasion of Thiruvalluvar day, Governor Ravi showered rose petals on a decorated portrait of the poet at the Government Circuit House in Ramanathapuram district.

In the portrait, Thiruvalluvar, with sacred ash (vibuthi), kumkum and rudraksha was featured in saffron dhoti and upper cloth.

Without naming the Governor, the Chief Minister quoted Thiruvalluvar's couplets and said the poet stood for ideologies such as social justice. On X, Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan posted a video clip of the Governor paying tributes.

Referring to the 133-feet statue of Thiruvalluvar in Kanyakumari district and the Valluvar Kottam here, Stalin said no one could 'stain' Thiruvalluvar in Tamil Nadu. Apparently, Stalin alluded to the portrait of Thiruvalluvar in saffron and the Hindu religious marks.

For well over 50 years, the state's official portrait of Thiruvalluvar is in white with no religious symbols. In 2019, when the state BJP used a portrait of Thiruvalluvar in Saffron, a controversy broke out. From then on, Saffron party leaders and Right wing supporters had often used such an image and maintain that Thiruvalluvar was a Hindu savant.

Right wing supporters had also tagged in social media, old books in Tamil (some dating back to early 20th century), that showed Thiruvalluvar with Hindu religious marks like rudraksha and sacred ash.

On the occasion of Thiruvalluvar Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid tributes to Thiruvalluvar, saying his timeless teachings inspire society.