Archive · 16 Jan 2026
DMK Criticizes Amit Shah Over Pongal Wishes
A leader from the DMK party in India criticized the Home Minister, Amit Shah, for wishing people 'Thiruvalluvar Day' instead of 'Pongal'.
Pongal is a big harvest festival in the Tamil culture.
The DMK leader said that Amit Shah and his party, the BJP, don't understand Tamil culture well.
He also challenged them to follow the teachings of the famous poet Thiruvalluvar, who said all people are equal.
The DMK leader hopes that if the BJP follows these teachings, they will start treating everyone equally.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, however, paid homage to Thiruvalluvar, emphasizing his works and ideals that inspire people across generations.
Modi highlighted Thiruvalluvar's role in personifying the best of Tamil culture and urged people to read the Tirukkural, a collection of 1,330 couplets on morality, governance, economics, and love.
DMK leader T K S Elangovan criticized Amit Shah for wishing Thiruvalluvar Day instead of Pongal.
Pongal is a harvest festival celebrated to honor farmers' work.
Elangovan claimed the BJP has a poor understanding of Tamil culture and traditions.
The DMK leader challenged Amit Shah to internalize Thiruvalluvar's teachings on equality.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to Thiruvalluvar, emphasizing his works and ideals that inspire people across generations.
- Who
- DMK leader T K S Elangovan and Union Home Minister Amit Shah
- What
- DMK criticized Amit Shah for wishing Thiruvalluvar Day instead of Pongal
- When
- January 15
- Where
- Chennai
- Why
- DMK claims BJP has a poor understanding of Tamil culture and traditions
DMK's Criticism
BJP's Perspective
Festival Celebration
DMK's Criticism
DMK leader T K S Elangovan criticized Amit Shah for wishing Thiruvalluvar Day instead of Pongal, a harvest festival celebrated to honor farmers' work.
BJP's Perspective
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to Thiruvalluvar, emphasizing his works and ideals that inspire people across generations.
Cultural Understanding
DMK's Criticism
Elangovan claimed the BJP has a poor understanding of Tamil culture and traditions.
BJP's Perspective
Modi highlighted Thiruvalluvar's role in personifying the best of Tamil culture and urged people to read the Tirukkural.
Equality and Teachings
DMK's Criticism
The DMK leader challenged Amit Shah to internalize Thiruvalluvar's teachings on equality and expressed hope that the BJP would start treating all people equally.
BJP's Perspective
Thiruvalluvar's teachings emphasize a harmonious and compassionate society, values that Modi encouraged people to adopt.
- Event
- Amit Shah's Thiruvalluvar Day wishes
- Critic
- DMK leader T K S Elangovan
- Date
- January 15
- Festival
- Pongal
- Poet
- Thiruvalluvar
- DMK's Claim
- BJP's poor understanding of Tamil culture
- DMK's Challenge
- Internalize Thiruvalluvar's teachings on equality
- Thiruvalluvar's Work
- Tirukkural, a collection of 1,330 couplets on morality, governance, economics, and love
- Thiruvalluvar's Birthplace
- Mylapore, present-day Chennai
- Thiruvalluvar's Period
- Variously dated between the 4th century BCE and the early 6th century CE
Sources
DMK slams Amit Shah over Thiruvalluvar Day wishes; cites poor knowledge of Tamil culture
PM Modi Appeals People To Read Tirukkural On Thiruvalluvar Day
PM Modi pays homage to Tamil poet-philosopher Thiruvalluvar, urges people to read Tirukkural
‘His works and ideals inspire innumerable people’: PM Modi pays tribute to Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar
PM Modi, Stalin pay rich tributes to Thiruvalluvar