BJP asks DMK to reach consensus on Lord Ram after Tamil Nadu minister's statement kicks up controversy

'But there is no evidence of history mentioning that Ram existed,' Sivasankar had said at the event.

Chennai: Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai on Saturday took a dig at state Transport Minister S S Sivasankar for contradicting his Cabinet colleague on Lord Ram's existence and asked the Ministers to reach a consensus on Lord Ram.

Posting a video of Sivasankar making the controversial remark, Annamalai remarked on X, "DMK's sudden obsession with Bhagwan Shri Ram is truly a sight to behold — who would've thought?" In the video the Minister, while speaking at King Rajendra Chola's birth anniversary in Ariyalur, claimed that ponds and temples constructed during Rajendra Chola's reign showed that the king lived. "But there is no evidence of history mentioning that Ram existed," Sivasankar said at the event.

Taking exception to the remark, Annamalai said in a lengthy post that last week DMK Law Minister S Reghupathy declared that Lord Ram was the ultimate champion of social justice, the pioneer of secularism, and the one who proclaimed equality for all. But now, the Transport Minister boldly asserted that Lord Ram never existed, Annamalai said.

It was high time the DMK Ministers: Raghupathy and Sivashankar, sat down, debated, and arrived at a consensus on Lord Ram, the BJP leader suggested.