Madurai (Tamil Nadu): Asserting that there are "numerous contradictions" in the history of Dravidian stalwart E V Ramasamy 'Periyar', former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai on Sunday said that he completely rejects his atheistic and anti-Brahmin ideologies, while acknowledging his contributions to women's empowerment and caste eradication.

Addressing a gathering of volunteers who participated in a Vaigai river cleanup drive, he drew a firm line between Periyar's social reforms and his core ideological principles.

"We accept that he spoke well for women's liberation. We accept that he spoke about caste eradication," Annamalai stated.

"However, I absolutely do not accept Periyar's atheistic policies, and I absolutely do not accept Periyar's anti-Brahminism," he added.

Highlighting alleged historical contradictions in the Dravidian leader's stances, Annamalai said, "He spoke about Hindi opposition in 1935, but the same Periyar in 1965 said to shoot anyone who protests against Hindi."

He also claimed that Periyar did not consistently back the DMK, noting, "In 1961, he asked people to vote for Pachai Thamizhan Kamaraj" (Former Chief Minister K Kamaraj was hailed by Periyar as Pachai Thamizhan, which denotes that he is a real Tamilian).

Transitioning to his party's political agenda, the former state BJP chief reiterated his pledge to relocate statues bearing atheistic inscriptions placed outside Hindu temples if his party is voted to power in Tamil Nadu.

"Saying 'there is no God, there is no God, there is no God at all' right outside the temple will not suit us," Annamalai said, arguing that devotees who visit temples are believers and should not be forced to encounter such messages on the entryway.

"We will respectfully take it and place it in a new location," he said, adding that the statues would be moved to alternative public spaces out of respect for temple-going devotees.

Annamalai also lauded volunteers of his movement 'We the Leaders' for successfully removing 163 tonne of waste from a 33-acre stretch of the Vaigai river in Madurai over a seven-week cleanup drive that commenced on August 3.

He said true political transformation in Tamil Nadu requires grassroots action rather than mere rhetoric. He also criticised the local administration for failing to utilise an estimated Rs 1,400 crore, provided by the Central government between 2014 and 2019 under Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Madurai's sanitation, to prevent such pollution.