Several parties in Tamil Nadu are protesting against the BJP-led Union government, accusing them of having plans to carve out Kongu Nadu — a separate state or Union Territory. While there have been several demands for a separate state in the past, on July 10, a fresh row erupted when the Union government introduced Tamil Nadu’s former BJP chief, L Murugan, a man from Kongu Nadu. Murugan has been sworn in as the Minister of State (MoS) Information and Broadcasting, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairy in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s newly formed cabinet.

The announcement for Murugan went viral and political parties, including the CPI, CPI(M) and the MDMK, voiced their opposition to the reference of Kongu Nadu by the Union government. MDMK’s State Youth Wing Secretary V Eswaran observed a fast and demanded that the Union government provide clarification on the issue. In a statement, CPI State Secretary R Muthurasan said that if the reports about creating Kongu Nadu is true, it will have a far-reaching impact on the country. He also added that the CPI condemns this separatist tendency of the BJP.

Since the Modi government divided Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories, there have been whispers in the power circles, of dividing Tamil Nadu into smaller states or union territories. According to political experts in the state, the demand to divide Tamil Nadu is likely motivated by the BJP’s need to gain a foothold in the state. Tamil Nadu has been a massive challenge for the BJP and a demand to split the state into smaller administrative units will help break the Tamil identity, say experts. In an earlier interview to The New Indian Express, Azhil Senthilnathan, coordinator, Tamil Language Rights Federation, says that the BJP party would want to break the Tamil identity and give the state to three dominant castes in these regions — Vanniyars, Kongu Vellala Gounders and Mukkulathor.

The party can then hope to break into Tamil Nadu’s politics by tying up with the parties or outfits that represent the dominant caste in each of the regions and challenge the dominance of the DMK and AIADMK.