Jayalalithaa asks PM Modi to resolve Thiruvalluvar statue issue

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to urgently take up with the Uttarakhand government the issue of installation of a statue of Tamil sage poet Thiruvalluvar in Haridwar.

In a letter to Modi, the text of which was released to the media here, Jayalalithaa requested Modi to accord this issue the highest priority and prevail upon the Uttarakhand government to resolve the matter at the earliest.

"It is learnt that the Thiruvalluvar statue is now lying in the Dam Kothi Guest House, Haridwar, in an abandoned condition. The visuals of the statue in this condition beamed on television screens is causing outrage in Tamil Nadu," Jayalalithaa said.

She said BJP`s Rajya Sabha member Tarun Vijay had proposed the installation of the statue of Thiruvalluvar at Haridwar, and he had offered to raise the funds for the purpose.

Thiruvalluvar is a celebrated poet believed to have lived between 3rd Century BC and 1st Century BC.

He wrote the most popular Tamil literary works 'Thirukkural', also known as the common creed. The verses are a moral guide for human beings and has been translated in several languages.

Jayalalithaa said the Thiruvalluvar Ganga Payanam/journey was flagged off on June 18 at Kanniyakumari by Pon Radhakrishnan, Union Minister of State for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping, in the presence of BJP MP Vijay and several other leaders cutting across party lines.

"The object of the Thiruvalluvar Ganga Payanam is to show solidarity of the North with the Tamil saint poet Thiruvalluvar`s message of equality and ending social discrimination in society," Jayalalithaa said.

According to her, due to the local protests, the installation of Thiruvalluvar statue at Har ki Pauri was prevented and was installed at Shankaracharya Chowk, Haridwar, on June 28.

The statute was to be unveiled on June 29 by the Governor and Chief Minister of Uttarakhand.

She said the continued protests by the local elements prevented the unveiling and the statue was temporarily installed in the Dam Kothi Guest House, Haridwar in the presence of the Governor of Uttar Pradesh and the Governor of Meghalaya and other dignitaries.