Karunanidhi

Chennai, Sept. 23: A maverick former BJP MP’s alleged call to behead M. Karunanidhi for his remarks on Ram fuelled an attack on the party hub today by enraged DMK workers bent on teaching the “crook” a lesson.

Hundreds of DMK cadres flung slippers and stones at the BJP’s south Chennai headquarters. Some stormed in, smashing windowpanes and furniture and yanking the saffron flag mast.

Although the attack occurred in a brief 20-minute burst, the air crackled with tension with DMK treasurer Arcot Veeraswamy issuing a retaliatory call “to teach the north Indian crook a fitting lesson for daring to ask for our great Tamil leader’s head”.

Ram Vilas Vedanti had yesterday apparently announced in Ayodhya that he would reward with gold coins “anyone beheading Karunanidhi and severing his tongue”. The remark was made in the context of the Tamil Nadu chief minister questioning Ram’s historical existence.

Vedanti, who was associated with the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and was a member of the VHP steering committee, today denied making the statement. “I never said that… I had simply quoted religious books and the Bhagwad Gita on the punishment prescribed for blasphemy.”

The 49-year-old, who fought on a BJP ticket against Rahul Gandhi in Amethi in 2004 and lost, is known to have unusual ways. He calls himself a “vedanti” because he is a “padha-likha swami”, strikes a Shiva-like pose while lecturing bhakts and has a fetish for sleeping on tiger skins with girls massaging his feet.

It is not known how the DMK has reacted to Vedanti’s denial, but prior to that a confrontation appeared to be brewing between the party and the Sangh parivar. Slogans were raised against BJP leader L.K. Advani and his effigy burnt.

Last night, Veeraswamy had threatened to lead a black-flag agitation against the BJP across Tamil Nadu if Vedanti, now a senior VHP leader, did not withdraw his statement.

But Karunanidhi pooh-poohed the remark. “Even if my head is to go, nothing can destroy my personal identity… which has already become part of Tamil Nadu’s history and people’s collective memory…,” he said.

BJP leaders at the Bhopal national executive reacted angrily at the attack, claiming the media had “twisted” Vedanti’s words.

“It is outrageous for the police to allow DMK goons, escorted in special buses, to attack the office of a national party,” said state unit vice-president G. Kumaravelu.

He urged the Centre to sack the DMK regime.