The youth have a moral duty to guide the future generation he said, adding, ``It is they (the youth) who have the responsibility of upholding the objectives of the Dravidian movement and guide the Tamils and protect them,'' at a wedding function at Villupuram yesterday.

Referring to the speech made by Local Administration Minister Ko Si Mani in which the latter said he happened to see a portrait of Periyar marked with sandal tilak and said it was unfortunate, Karunanidhi said he did not know whether Mani erased the tilak from the portrait as soon as he saw it. ``But he should have erased it''.

Recalling another incident in which he saw a functionary of the DMK's youth wing with sindooron his forehead and his subsequent action of erasing the tilak, the DMK chief quipped: ``It is not enough if he merely erased it from his forehead'', the CM said and appealed to the party cadres to preach the teachings of Periyar.

Reacting to Karunanidhi's latest directive to his cadres, Hindu Munnani State Organiser Rama Gopalan said it was ``ridiculous''. The question of applying sindoor was ``a private affair'' and he had no right to interfere, he said, adding, ``He is making a laughing stock of himself by his frequent statements on one issue or the other relating to the Hindu religion''.

Rama Gopalan dared Karunanidhi to remove Assembly Speaker P T R Palanivel Rajan from the party because he applies kumkum on the forehead and visits temples. ``There cannot be two rules in the party -- one for the leaders and the other for the cadres,'' he said and added that people with self-respect and faith in God should quit the DMK or Karunanidhi should reform himself. He wanted to know whythe DMK chief, who claims to uphold Periyar's teachings, participates in iftaar parties during Ramzan and in Christmas celebrations.

State BJP General Secretary L Ganesan said Karunanidhi's latest statement was not an inner-party affair. It amounts to wounding the sentiments of crores of people, he said, adding applying tilak was a part of Tamil culture.

Ganesan warned that there would be an upsurge in Hindu society if the DMK leaders, who are careful enough not to hurt the religious sentiments of Christian and Muslims, continue to ignore Hindu sentiments.