Ram Setu vs. Sethusamudram project: When Tamil Nadu BJP headquarters was attacked by DMK cadres

In 2007, the Parliament and governmental circles successful New Delhi and Chennai were abuzz with heated discussions connected the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project. The nonsubjective of the task was to make a shipping way done the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Bay, an country marked by a concatenation of shoals betwixt India and Sri Lanka.

These shoals are commonly referred to arsenic Adam’s Bridge oregon Ram Setu. Although the thought of creating a shipping way astir the Indian peninsula successful this constrictive strait had been mooted much than a period earlier, the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project was powerfully promoted by T.R. Baalu, the Union Shipping Minister from 2004 to 2009, during the archetypal word of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

The groundwork for the task was laid during the tenure of Atal Bihari Vajpayee arsenic Prime Minister erstwhile the DMK was portion of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The task was formally inaugurated successful July 2005 erstwhile Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister. At that time, AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa termed it “economically and ecologically” unviable, according to a study in The Hindu. The Supreme Court stalled enactment connected the task successful 2007 amid concerns that it could harm the Ram Setu. 

The DMK and the BJP were engaged successful heated arguments implicit the beingness of Ram Setu, some wrong and extracurricular the Parliament. In 2007, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi said the Ram Setu existed lone successful the imaginativeness of immoderate radical and it was not a man-made structure. Senior BJP person L.K. Advani powerfully objected to Karunanidhi’s remarks connected the “existence of Lord Rama” and demanded helium retreat his statement.

Against this backdrop, successful September 2007, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) person and erstwhile BJP MP Ram Vilas Vedanti (who died successful December 2025) triggered a large contention by saying that “whosoever chopped disconnected the caput and lingua of the DMK president [M. Karunanidhi] would beryllium talented successful gold,” according to an archival study in The Hindu.

Vedanti’s remarks sparked wide protests by DMK cadres crossed the State. Demonstrations were held successful Chennai, Madurai, Tiruchi and Kanniyakumari, among different places. Protesters resorted to assorted forms of agitation including burning the effigy of Vedanti.

In Chennai, connected September 23, 2007, a protestation was held connected South Boag Road successful T. Nagar, adjacent Vaidyaraman Street wherever Kamalalayam, the BJP’s State headquarters, is located. The objection was led by the past State Information Minister Parithi Ilamvazhuthi. Several DMK leaders from the city, including Chennai Mayor Ma. Subramanian (now Health Minister) and territory secretaries Balaraman and J. Anbazhagan, were astatine the spot. 

As DMK workers raised slogans against Vedanti and Mr. Advani, a conception of the protesters entered Vaidyaraman Street astir 10.15 a.m. and hurled stones astatine the BJP office, damaging model panes. A flagpost astatine the entranceway of the enactment bureau was besides uprooted. Nearly 15 BJP members including women sustained insignificant injuries, The Hindu reported, quoting G. Kumaravelu, past vice-president of the BJP’s State unit.

Around 11 a.m., the constabulary detained the protesters. Later, Ilamvazhuthi claimed to journalists the protestation was conducted successful a “peaceful manner.” However, Mr. Kumaravelu, said akin attacks were reported successful different parts of Tamil Nadu. BJP flagpoles were damaged successful Villupuram territory and the Hindu Munnani bureau astatine Chindatripet successful Chennai was besides attacked, helium said.

BJP leaders alleged the attacks were carried retired with constabulary support. Mr. Kumaravelu said earlier the demonstrators assembled, Joint Commissioner of Police (South) G. Dorairaj had assured BJP leaders that the enactment bureau would beryllium protected and determination was nary origin for concern.

One of the elder leaders who locked the gates of the BJP bureau from wrong to flight the onslaught was erstwhile Governor Tamilsai Soundararajan, past wide caput of the BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit. She questioned whether the DMK was signalling that nary enactment opposing its marque of authorities should beryllium successful the State.

However, the constabulary denied allegations against them. Mr. Dorairaj said, “A fewer persons pelted stones. They were instigated by BJP members who came retired of the bureau and said something.” He said helium would not picture the incidental arsenic an “attack.”

Jayalalithaa reacted sharply to the incident, demanding the contiguous dismissal of the DMK government. She accused it of unleashing unit with constabulary enactment and charged those successful precocious positions had resorted to “rowdyism.”

On the aforesaid day, Chief Minister Karunanidhi telephoned his Maharashtra counterpart Vilasrao Deshmukh, seeking extortion for DMK members successful Mumbai. A study inThe Hindu quoting an authoritative merchandise said the DMK bureau adjacent Dharavi successful Mumbai had been attacked by BJP and RSS activists portion arrangements were being made for a gathering to accent the implementation of the Sethusamudram Canal Project.

The pursuing day, BJP State president La. Ganesan, accompanied by Su. Thirunavukkarasar, the past BJP nationalist caput (now Congress leader), and Pon. Radhakrishnan, State vice-president, met Governor Surjit Singh Barnala astatine Raj Bhavan (now Lok Bhavan), and submitted a memorandum seeking the dismissal of the DMK authorities connected the grounds of a “total breakdown of instrumentality and order” successful Tamil Nadu.

On the aforesaid day, 10 DMK men were arrested successful transportation with the onslaught connected the BJP bureau successful T. Nagar and the Hindu Munnani bureau successful Chindatripet, based connected a ailment lodged by the BJP. A ailment was besides registered against Vedanti for his provocative remarks.

Meanwhile, BJP members led by Ganesan and Hindu Munnani cadres led by its laminitis Rama Gopalan staged demonstrations successful Chennai against what they termed the government’s “inaction” pursuing the onslaught connected the BJP headquarters. The BJP enactment successful New Delhi convened an exigency meeting, chaired by nationalist president Rajnath Singh, to sermon the concern successful Tamil Nadu.

A fewer days later, BJP leaders Rajnath Singh, M. Venkaiah Naidu and Narendra Modi, who was past Chief Minister of Gujarat, visited Chennai and inspected the harm astatine Kamalalayam. The leaders were successful the metropolis to wage homage to Jana Krishnamurthy, erstwhile BJP nationalist president, who died successful September that year.