Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday deleted a social media post extending greetings for Thiruvalluvar Day instead of Pongal, after the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam pointed out the error.
Responding to Shah’s tweet, Tamil Nadu’s minister for industries, investment promotion and commerce, TRB Rajaa wrote, “When people ask me about the BJP and Tamil Nadu, I often point out that the fundamental issue is that the BJP simply does not understand Tamils and Tamil Nadu and it doesn’t even take the effort to understand what we need and who we are!”
Pongal, the state’s biggest festival, is on Thursday while Thiruvalluvar Day is on Friday, based on the solar calculation and the Tamil calendar, and not the English calendar dates, said Raja.
“Tamil does not need ceremonial praise. It asks for knowledge and understanding. And Delhi should try to start with that,” he said.
He also wondered if a similar mistake occurred when Union minister of state L Murugan hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Pongal celebrations in his Delhi residence on Wednesday.“Now, one also wonders if the Pongal celebrations yesterday in Delhi were also a miscalculation without application of mind and not a date accommodation to enable senior leaders to attend,” he added.
Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson ANS Prasad defended Shah in a statement. “This morning, the Union home minister shared greetings on his X account, initially referencing Thiruvalluvar Day in connection with the Pongal festivities. This post was subsequently updated or removed to align with the customary sequence of wishing for “Thai Pongal” today and Thiruvalluvar Day tomorrow. This reflects thoughtful consideration and respect for Tamil sentiments and traditions, without any intended malice,” he said.