Some overzealous cadres had put up posters in Karur and its surrounding areas depicting political leaders as Goddess Mariamman and Jesus, outraging the sentiments of the respective religious communities.
Objecting to such posters in Karur, Hindu Munnani Karur City Secretary D. Vetrivel lodged a complaint with the police on July 18. In the complaint, he said, “Karur district Youth Congress functionary Keerthan Periyasamy has put up banners and brought out posters that were displayed across the district. In them, he has portrayed Hindu Gods in a poor manner and committed acts of sacrilege against Hindu Gods.
This has offended Hindus and hurt their religious sentiments. Karur MP Jothimani was equated to Goddess Mariamman, which is unacceptable to Hindus. We request you to remove all such posters immediately, as they could cause communal clashes.”
Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay was described as the heavenly messenger of Jesus. The posters were pasted thanking them for lifting the embargo on registering Patta for four Karur Hindu temple lands. While the TVK claimed it had lifted the ban, Congress MP Jothimani claimed it was the result of her persistent requests to the government.
Reacting to the posters, BJP leader Selva Kumar, in a post on X, said, “It was the prime and principal duty of the Angel of God to alienate Rs. 25,000 crore worth of four temple properties to 417 illegal encroachers. Before completing his five-year term, he would give away all temple properties to them.”
கர்த்தரின் தேவதூதரின் முதல் வேலையே ₹25,000 கோடி கோவில் நிலத்தை 471 ஆக்கிரமிப்பாளர்களுக்கு வழங்கியதுதான்.
தேவதூதரின் ஆட்சி முடிவில் கோவில்களுக்கு சொந்தமான அனைத்து நிலத்தையும் தாரை வார்த்து விடுவார். pic.twitter.com/bR5xdqqmJa
— Selva Kumar (@Selvakumar_IN) July 17, 2026
There have been similar incidents in the past. On the eve of her birthday in February 1995, an AIADMK supporter put up posters in Chennai featuring Jayalalithaa in the likeness of Mary Matha, sparking immediate outrage from Christian communities, who viewed it as deeply offensive. Reparation prayers were held over the perceived sacrilege. She was also depicted as Durga mata, Lakshmi, Saraswathi and the Virgin Mary.
While the portrayal regarding the Hindu goddess did not evoke much adverse reaction, possibly due to the public memory about Jayalalithaa’s performance as the goddess in a Tamil feature film in the early 1970s, her depiction as Virgin Mary did not go down well with some sections.…
— Ramakrishnan T (@Rama_Krishnan) December 31, 2025
In 2001, DMK cadres in Chennai put up posters depicting Karunanidhi as Jesus Christ, sparking protests from local Christian organisations. Karunanidhi himself was also pictured several times in election posters as Arjuna of the Pandavas, with his son M.K. Stalin depicted as Bhagwan Krishna holding the reins of his chariot. There was also an advertisement highlighting the importance of insurance, which depicted Bhagwan Yama riding his bull vahan with a rope in hand, while a shield representing insurance protected a man.
There were also posters in places such as Karur and Madurai in 2009, where enthusiastic cadres depicted M.K. Stalin and his family as avatars of Hindu Gods, particularly Bhagwan Murugan.
Hindu organisations have repeatedly protested against such acts, stating that they disrespect Hindu beliefs.
Critics say, “For many, Vijay’s victory symbolised something deeper: the emergence of an openly Christian leader at the helm of one of the most politically influential states in India, at a time when religious polarisation increasingly shapes national discourse.”
There have been complaints from the public that the TVK government has been promoting Abrahamic religions. Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker J.C.K. Prabhakar has recited Biblical verses in the State Legislature. He, along with VCK MLA-cum-Minister Vanniarasu, who is alleged to be following Christianity, participated in a felicitation programme after becoming ministers and assured that the demands of the church leaders would be met, including reservation benefits for crypto-Christians.
Besides Chief Minister Joseph Vijay, who follows the Catholic faith, his advisers John Arokyasamy, Ministers Adhav Arjuna, City Police Commissioner A. Amalraj and State Public Prosecutor John Sathyan, among others, have also been mentioned. During the election campaign, Vijay was seen holding an image of Jesus Christ.
Senior journalist Nambi Narayanan, in a Facebook post, said, “Vijay knows to keep religion at home for his profession, and in politics it has to be vigorously pursued. With this in mind, he was known as Vijay in the film industry, but in politics he is Joseph Vijay. This formula has helped him reap gains in both the film world and the political arena. We should understand this.”
TVK Ministers also took part in an all-night special prayer event that drew criticism from the public. The DMK has also objected to the Cross displayed at Chief Minister Vijay’s office, raising questions over secularism and the display of religious symbols at the Chief Minister’s office, urging him to remain secular.
Now, posters have started appearing across the State announcing the “Christian Churches and Pastors Federation – Pastors Conference 2026”. The poster prominently features TVK President and Chief Minister Joseph Vijay. It also lists Assembly Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar as the special guest for the event.
Pastor Meeting-ஆ இல்ல TVK Meeting-ஆ? 😏
Christian Pastors Federation மேடையில் Thalapathy + MLAs full lineup… இது என்ன கலவை?
Faith-ஐ politics-ஓட mix பண்றாங்களா? உங்க எண்ணம்? pic.twitter.com/FaHTKkeXoQ
— ThamiZh (@ThamizhTharmar) July 15, 2026
The poster also carries the names of several TVK legislators and office-bearers as participants, including K. Thenarasu, Kumara R., R.V. Senthilkumar, D. Sadhik Basha, R. Manoj, R. Jegatheesan and M.R. Palani, indicating the presence of multiple elected representatives at the Christian religious gathering.
Hindu Munnani leaders say that the present events and developments clearly show a pattern of the Christianisation of Tamil Nadu, tracing its roots back to the Colonial Christian era, when Bharat’s traditional systems were severely affected, paving the way for blind imitation of the West.
