Chennai: Cadres and supporters of the BJP and various Hindu outfits on Sunday chanted the ‘Kanda Sashti Kavacham’ hymn and held a ‘Vel Puja’ across Tamil Nadu.
Amid chants of ‘Vetri Vel’ and ‘Veera Vel,’ the Kavacham, a prayer song in praise of Lord Muruga seeking divine protection reverberated across the State.
The event assumes significance as it happened days after ‘Karuppar Kootam,’ a collective of atheists denigrated the hymn,revered in Tamil Nadu for centuries, on their Youtube channel and it led to an outrage.
Four men including Surendran Natarajan, the anchor were arrested and all the offensive videos were removed from the social mediaplatform following action by the cybercrime police.
BJP State president L Murugan led the Kavacham chanting and ‘Vel Puja’ at his Koyambedu residence here.
Similar prayers were held in party offices, residences of cadres and supporters and on public spaces like roads in the state.
Later, speaking to reporters and answering a query on alliance during next year’s assembly election, Murugan said, “Our party people will be elected as MLAs and they will go to the Assembly for sure. Already we are in an alliance… Our alliance (with AIADMK) for now continues.”
On Saturday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami had however said the ruling AIADMK would discuss alliance at the time of polls.
‘Vel’ in Tamil means spear and it is the weapon of Hindu god Muruga, also hailed as Subramanya and Karthikeya.
The prayer started at 6.01 pm everywhere and it was held on the occasion of ‘Sashti,’ an auspicious day for offering worship to Lord Muruga.
Several prominent spiritual orators and musicians had voiced support for the event.
Children were dressed up as Lord Muruga in a number of places and spears were prominently placed during prayer sessions amid brightly lit traditional lamps.
Portraits of Muruga, often hailed as Tamil god were decked up and “Veera Vel” and “Vetri Vel” slogans were raised at the start and end of the chanting sessions.
Veera (Valour) Vel and Vetri (Victory) Vel are slogans like ‘Har Har Mahadev’ and used since the days of yore both during prayers and wars.
DMK MLA Ku Ka Selvam, who days ago alleged family politics in his party had wanted party chief M K Stalin to condemn those who had denigrated the song.