‘Amma had faith in God, not religion… transcended divisions’: Annamalai faces blowback for linking Jayalalithaa with Hindutva

Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai’s recent statement calling AIADMK icon and ex-chief minister late Jayalalithaa a “Hindutva leader” has been sharply contested by the AIADMK camp and her associates.

Hitting back at Annamalai, they have sought to make a distinction between Jayalalithaa’s personal Hindu faith and the Hindutva ideology.

Jayalalithaa’s close aide V K Sasikala was the first to react to Annamalai’s comments. “Amma (as Jayalalithaa was called by her followers) had faith in God, but not in religion. She was the only unparalleled leader who treated everyone equally throughout her life… No one can confine such a distinguished leader to any narrow bounds,” Sasikala said. “Amma transcended caste, religion, and divisions, and was revered and admired by people from all walks of life throughout her life.”

Senior AIADMK leader D Jayakumar also criticised Annamalai and condemned his statement “for defaming Amma by portraying her as a sectarian leader”. Asserting that Jayalalithaa was a leader who transcended caste and religious differences to become a leader for all, Jayakumar said she “treated all religions equally”.

Jayalalithaa’s faith and practices have often been scrutinised. As a believer in Hinduism, she too followed the practices of the faith, which differ vastly from place to place. However, what triggered the controversy was her faith being equated with Hindutva, as a slew of AIADMK leaders, Jayalalithaa’s aides and observers felt this was a “misrepresentation”.

Those who were associated with Jayalalithaa for a long time clarified that she was a believer in Hinduism in the same way as millions of others — as a private practice.

Jayalalithaa’s tenure as the CM saw several moves that was seen to be in alignment with