‘No historic evidence of Lord Ram’s existence’, Tamil Nadu Minister Sivasankar sparks row; BJP reacts

Tamil Nadu Minister SS Sivasankar's controversial remark on the existence of Lord Ram sparked a political debate. “There is no historical existence to prove Lord Ram's existence,” the DMK leader said while addressing Chola Emperor Rajendra Chola's birth anniversary event in Ariyalur

“We must celebrate the birthday anniversary of our great ruler Rajendra Chola, who made our land proud. We should celebrate his birthday; otherwise, people may be compelled to celebrate something that has no connection or evidence to them,” he said.

“To show that Rajendra Chola lives on, there are ponds constructed by him, temples built by him, and his name is mentioned in scripts, sculptures, and other artefacts. We have history and evidence for it, but there is no evidence or historical record of Lord Ram's existence,” the minister said.

"They call him (Ram) an avatar. An avatar can't be born. It is being done to manipulate us, hide our history, and present another history as superior," Sivasankar added.

BJP on Sivasankar's Lord Ram remark

Reacting to Sivasankar's remarks, Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai questioned DMK's “sudden obsession with Bhagwan Shri Ram”. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote, “Just last week, DMK's Law Minister Thiru Raghupathy declared that Bhagwan Shri Ram was the ultimate champion of social justice, the pioneer of secularism, and the one who proclaimed equality for all”.

"Fast forward to today, and we have the scam-tainted DMK Transport Minister, Thiru Shiva Shankar, boldly asserting that Lord Ram never existed, claiming it's all a ploy to erase the Cholan history. Isn't it fascinating how quickly DMK leaders' memories fade? Weren't they the same folks who opposed our Hon PM Thiru @narendramodi for installing the Chola Dynasty Sengol in the new Parliament Complex?" he said.

"It's almost comical that the DMK, a party that seems to think Tamil Nadu's history started in 1967, has suddenly discovered a love for the nation's rich culture and history. Perhaps it's time for DMK Ministers Thiru Raghupathy and Thiru Shiva Shankar to sit down, debate, and reach a consensus on Lord Ram. We're confident that Thiru Shiva Shankar could learn a thing or two about Bhagwan Shri Ram from his colleague," the BJP leader added.

(With ANI inputs)