Chennai, Sep 3 (IANS): DMK MP A.S. Senthil Kumar came out strongly against DMK leader and Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE), P.K. Sekarbabu, for extending Vinayaka Chathurthi wishes.

In a social media post, Senthil Kumar quoted late Chief Minister and DMK ideologue M. Karunanidhi, who had said that it is not the duty of the HR&CE department to organise a festival. He also said that the late Chief Minister had banned the department from celebrating religious festivals.

The DMK Parliamentarian recalled a similar incident in 2006-2011 when Karunanidhi had pulled up his Cabinet colleague and then HR&CE Minister K.R. Periyakaruppan for attending a temple function.

He said that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin is heading a government propelled by Dravidian ideology and that the action of the minister and the department must not be a hindrance for the government to push the cause of social justice.

Senthil Kumar also said that the government and its ministers must stick to the core ideology of the party proposed by its founder leader, C.N. Annadurai.

The MP from Dharmapuri said that Annadurai had categorically stated that there should not be any religious symbol or picture in government offices.