Yet, the activities of the HR&CE department, which was almost obscure, sprang to life under the new regime. Most recently, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attacked the DMK by labelling it as ‘anti-Hindu’ on the campaign trail for the assembly elections. However, the DMK managed to fend it off as mass politics led the party to be more accommodative. The initiatives and announcements that steered this department to prominence include, Stalin appointing 24 non-Brahmin trained priests to temples on completion of 100 days in office. After Stalin made 208 new appointments to various positions in the HR&CE department, including 24 priests from various castes, it was welcomed by all parties, including the BJP.

Source: Hindustan Times August 17, 2021 18:22 UTC