The International Saiva Siddhanta Conference organised by the Saiva Siddhantha Research of the Tirukayilaya Paramparai Dharmapuram Adheenam to promote Hindutva ideological thoughts seems to have turned into huge embarrassment for all the stake holders of the event.
One of the Saivite spiritual leaders, while addressing the conference, stirred up a controversy alleging that he met with a car accident on the way to the event. The accident, he claimed, was a deliberate attempt to kill him by two men sporting “skull cap” and “beard”.
The accident took place on May 2 at 9.45 am when the SUV of Sri La Sri Harihara Sri Gnanasambanda Desika Swamigal, head of the Madurai Adheenam, the most prominent 1500-year-old Saivite monastery in Tamil Nadu, collided with another vehicle at a four-way junction near the Ulundurpet signal in Salem.
But neither the pontiff nor his car driver filed a police complaint. Asked about it, the pontiff told the media on May 3, “They are the minorities. They enjoy the benefits from the government.”
However, a day later, the Kallakurichi district police released the CCTV footage of the car accident and ruled out any foul play. In a statement, the police also warned of strict action against those who post false information and spread rumours on social media regarding the accident.
The police said that the SUV in which the pontiff was travelling to Chennai met with an accident with another car at the Salem roundabout near Ulundurpet. The CCTV footage revealed that the Adheenam’s SUV had taken the service road in Ajees Nagar in Ulundurpet instead of the flyover.
“The SUV was proceeding towards Ulundurpet at high speed when it brushed against a car that was passing through a barricade on the stretch,” the police statement said. The police also said that thy did not receive any complaint from either by the pontiff or his mutt. A day later, a case was registered against the car driver for alleging that the accident was a conspiracy to kill him.
The car accident, the pontiff's statement, and the CCTV footage have turned into a talking point in Tamil Nadu.
The Madurai Adheenam is no new to sporting controversies. The pontiff is identified himself as a follower of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and has expressed his support for Modi publicly during several events. During the inauguration of the new Parliament building, he praised Modi for promoting Tamil culture. He hailed Modi as the first prime minister to have invited the Adheenams for a significant national event. And when Modi decided to install the ‘sengol’ inside the parliament, Madurai Adheenam was one among the pontiff's from Tamil Nadu to have been invited by the BJP government.
Madurai Adheenam has been a vocal critic of the DMK in Tamil Nadu and has always spoken in favour of the Hindutva forces.
Interestingly, the Hindu Makkal Katchi (HMK), a right-wing organization, has sharply criticized the statement made by the Adheenam and appealed to the police to take stern action against him. The HMK has labelled his allegations as baseless and accused him of spoiling the sanctity of the Adheenam. The HMK also said that the Adheenam has fabricated the assassination to stir a religious controversy.
