• I understand that what you say is that Nehru called Ram a hero, not a god. Similarly, Rajagopalachari called him a great prince, not a god. But Nehru used to go to the Ramlila in New Delhi and fold his hands before (the idol).

That’s different. I am a chief minister. If there’s a festival in a Ram temple, do I stop it?

• But will you go to one of those festivals if invited?

Oh yes! (Laughs) Muslims invite us and we go. Christians invite us and we go. Why can’t we go when Hindus invite us? There’s nothing wrong.

• In one of your statements you asked that if this bridge (the Ram Sethu) was built by Lord Ram, then which engineering college did he go to.

It was said in lighter vein. Why make an issue of it.

• I’m not making an issue. All I’m saying is that what’s said in lighter vein is not taken in lighter vein because these are very sensitive issues.

They are using it deliberately for propaganda, as if I had hurt their sentiments. It is not true. In an election campaign, Periyar (founder of the Dravida movement) asked people in every street to beat Ram. I don’t want to elaborate, but what happened? He asked people to break idols of Pillayar (Lord Ganesh). But Anna said he would neither break Ganesh idols nor break coconuts in offering before gods. Recently, some 4,000 idols of Ganesh were immersed in the sea. Did we stop it? On the contrary, we provided police protection. In a sense, isn’t Ganesh considered greater than Ram?

... contd.