Annamalai clarifies stance, rejects Periyar's anti-Brahmin and atheist ideology

Former Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai has clarified his stance on Periyar after his tribute to the social reformer on his 147th birth anniversary drew backlash from supporters. Annamalai said he continues to oppose Periyar's anti-Brahmin and atheistic ideology, while he accepted the Dravidian leader's advocacy of women's liberation and caste eradication.K Annamalai has long been a critic of Periyar's Dravidian political model and what he describes as anti-Hindu rhetoric. (Image: X/@annamalai_k)Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai has drawn a clear line between Dravida Kazhagam (DK) founder EV Ramasamy Naicker, or Periyar's social reform legacy, and his own ideological positions, saying he accepts the Dravidian leader's advocacy of women's liberation and caste eradication but "completely rejects" his atheism and anti-Brahmin stance.The clarification comes days after Annamalai's tribute to Periyar on his 147th birth anniversary triggered a backlash among sections of his supporters, who questioned his praise for a leader strongly associated with rationalism, atheism, and criticism of Brahminical traditions.Speaking at a programme in Madurai on Sunday (September 20), founder of the new political movement, We the Leaders, Annamalai acknowledged what he called Periyar's contributions to women's empowerment and the fight against caste discrimination, while drawing a firm ideological boundary. "We acknowledge that he [Periyar] advocated women's liberation and spoke about the eradication of caste. However, I completely reject Periyar's atheistic views and his anti-Brahmin stance," Annamalai said.The 42-year-old IPS officer-turned-politician made the remarks while addressing volunteers associated with We The Leaders after a seven-week cleanup drive along a 33-acre stretch of the Vaigai river in Madurai. His remarks came just three days after he publicly paid tribute to Periyar, a move that had reopened questions over his position on the Dravidian icon.ANNAMALAI'S PERIYAR POST THAT TRIGGERED BACKLASHOn September 17, Periyar's 147th birth anniversary, Annamalai posted on X that the Dravidian leader had played a "pivotal role in social reform movements" and left an "indelible impact" on Tamil Nadu's social and political history. He also called Periyar as someone who had spent much of his life fighting against "inequalities and superstitions". It was only the second time the IPS officer-turned-politician had publicly marked Periyar's birth anniversary since entering politics, with his first tribute coming in 2020, shortly after he joined the BJP.The post stood out because Annamalai, during his years as Tamil Nadu BJP president, had frequently positioned himself against aspects of Periyarist politics, particularly over the placement of Periyar statues and atheistic messages near Hindu temples.Sections of his supporters reacted sharply to the tribute. Some questioned why a leader identified with Hindu religious symbolism would praise Periyar's fight against superstition and inequalities. Critics also revived a 2024 video of Annamalai performing self-flagellation as an offering to Lord Murugan, juxtaposing the religious act with his reference to Periyar's rationalist legacy.The backlash appears to have prompted Annamalai to spell out what parts of Periyar's legacy he accepts and what he does not.NUMEROUS CONTRADICTIONS IN PERIYAR'S HISTORY: ANNAMALAIAt Sunday's event, Annamalai argued that Periyar's political history contained "numerous contradictions".He cited Periyar's positions on the Hindi language movement as one example. "He [Periyar] spoke about Hindi opposition in 1935, but the same Periyar in 1965 said to shoot anyone who protests against Hindi," Annamalai said.He also referred to Periyar's political relationship with the Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), pointing to his 1961 appeal to voters to support then-Madras Chief Minister K Kamaraj, whom he described as "Pachai Thamizhan (pure Tamilian)".Annamalai's argument was that acknowledging parts of Periyar's social reform work did not require accepting the entirety of his ideology.Periyar remains one of the most consequential and contested figures in Tamil Nadu's political history. His rationalist and anti-caste politics shaped the Dravidian movement, while his criticism of religion and Brahminical social structures continues to be both defended and opposed across the state's political spectrum.ANNAMALAI DRAWS LINE OVER TEMPLE-SIDE STATUES CARRYING ATHEISTIC MESSAGESAnnamalai also reiterated his position on statues carrying atheistic inscriptions outside Hindu temples.He said his political movement, We The Leaders, would relocate such statues if it comes to power, arguing that devotees entering temples should not be confronted with explicitly atheistic messages."Saying 'there is no God, there is no God, there is no God at all' right outside the temple will not suit us," he said.Annamalai stressed that the statues would not be destroyed. Instead, he said they would be "respectfully" moved to alternative public spaces.The issue is not new for Annamalai. During his BJP years too — from September 2020 to May 2026 — he had spoken about relocating Periyar statues installed outside temples, making it part of his broader argument over religion and Dravidian rationalism in Tamil Nadu's public spaces.The Periyar clarification, therefore, comes as Annamalai seeks to establish the ideological identity of We The Leaders after his exit from the BJP.Annamalai's remarks on Periyar and the clarification offer a more defined position. While Annamalai acknowledged Periyar's social reform efforts on women's rights and caste, he said Periyar's atheism and anti-Brahmin ideology could not be accepted.- EndsPublished By: Avinash KateelPublished On: Sep 21, 2026 11:45 IST