BJP Leader BL Santosh says ‘there was no Tamil Nadu back then’ on Kamal Haasan’s comment on Raja Raja Cholan

On Sunday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national organisational secretary, BL Santosh, removed Kamal Hassan's statement about Raja Raja Chola not being Hindu. He questioned how Raja Raja Chola could be a Dravida ruler since there was no idea of Tamil Nadu when the Chola dynasty ruled.

 

Previously, at an event in Chennai, Kamal Haasan claimed there was no term for Hinduism during the Chola era and that Raja Raja Chola was not a Hindu king.

 

The BJP's national organisational secretary, BL Santosh, responded to the actor-turned-netas remark by saying, Raja Raja Chola is the one who built the Brihadeeshwara temple in Tamil Nadu, and dumb people have sparked a controversy over whether he is Hindu.

He went on to say that there was no Tamil Nadu back then. There were three dynasties: the Chola, the Pallava, and the Pandya. So, how did Raja Raja Chola become a Dravidian king? For selfish political motives, the Dravida question is a political matter. There's nothing Dravida about it. Dravida is synonymous with corruption and favouritism.

Earlier, at an event, filmmaker Vetrimaran stated, "Our symbols are always being kidnapped from us." Saffronizing Valluvar or referring to Raja Raja Cholan as a Hindu king is a common occurrence. Vetrimaran advised that because cinema is a medium for ordinary people, it is critical to understand politics in order to preserve one's representation.

H Raja, a BJP leader, answered by asserting that Raja Raja Cholan was a Hindu king. I am not as well-versed in history as Vetrimaran, but let him point it out any churches or mosques built by Raja Raja Cholan. He proclaimed himself as Sivapadh Sekaran, how come he not be a Hindu?

In support of director Vetrimaran, actor-turned-politician Kamal Hassan stated, "There was no word called Hindu faith during Raja Raja Chola's reign." There were Vainavam, Shivam, and Samanam, and the British coined the name Hindu since they couldn't think of a better way to refer to them all. It's comparable to how Thuthukudi was converted to Tuticorin.