Stalin's Vinayaka Chaturthi Greeting and its controversies

On Aug 29, 2014, DMK Treasurer MK Stalin, a self-confessed atheist, surprised many when he tweeted greeting all on the occasion of Vinayaka

Chaturthi.  However, now in a U-turn of sorts, the DMK leadership said the greeting was posted by mistake on his Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Greetings to all on the occasion of Vinayak Chaturthi! 

pic.twitter.com/gFYKmAdtlk

— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) August 29, 2014

In a press release, the party said, "Enthusiastic website operators posted without his permission and the greetings were not his wishes." Since ages, DMK leaders who are staunch followers of the late rationalist leader EVR Periyar have remained self-confessed atheists and they have largely refrained from celebrating or greeting people during Hindu festivals.

Mr. Stalin's departure, though largely well received on social media, drew sharp criticism as well. One comment by Syed Ali in response to M K Stalin's greetings says "Is the Dravidian ship changing course? Another user, Saranjit, said "I read your greeting. I'm happy. What you say is wrong. It's painful."

Although the DMK leadership usually refrains from greeting people during Hindu festivals, they do not fail to wish Muslims and Christians, seen as their vote bank, during Ramzan and Christmas.

In the past, many pointed fingers at DMK Chief Karunanidhi for what many called his anti-Hindu remarks. In 2007, when objections were raised to the construction of the Sethusamudram channel slicing through a portion of the Ram Sethu, believed to have been built by Lord Ram, Karunanidhi asked, "Who is this Raman? In which engineering college did he study and become a civil engineer? When did he build this so-called bridge? Is there evidence?".

Mr. Stalin's first-of-its-kind inclusive greeting comes in the backdrop of the party's electoral rout in the recent Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu and the BJP capturing power at the Centre.  It also comes at a time when he is focused on boosting the morale of party cadre to regain lost ground in the 2016 assembly polls for which his supporters want him to be announced as the chief ministerial candidate of the party.