Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday cautioned against "organised efforts" to portray social reformer Sree Narayana Guru as a proponent of Sanatana Dharma. He claimed that the Guru was neither a spokesperson nor a practitioner of the Sanatana Dharma but a saint who had reconstructed it and proclaimed a Dharma befitting the new age.

The CM was speaking at the inauguration of a pilgrimage conference held in Sivagiri, the headquarters of Sree Narayana Sangam.

Sanatana Dharma is nothing but 'varnashrama dharma' (caste-based social order), which the Guru had challenged and overcome, the CM said. The new age "humanistic dharma" Guru advocated stands with time, he added. Trying to fix Guru in the framework of Sanatana Dharma is a great insult to the saint, he said.

Varnasrama Dharma is synonymous with or an integral part of Sanatana Dharma, the CM said, adding that Guru's ascetic life was the one which questioned and defied the entire chaturvarnya system.

"Attempts to downplay social reformer Sree Narayana Guru as a mere religious leader or as a religious saint must be realised. It should be understood that Guru had no religion and had no caste," the CM said. If someone tries to place Guru himself within the boundaries of caste or religion, there can be no insult to the sage beyond that, he added.

Warning that there would be attempts to present the Guru as an advocate of whatever he had fought against, Vijayan urged people to be vigilant against such attempts. "Don't let that happen. Be able to firmly state that such misinterpretations will not be tolerated," he said.

Meanwhile, the chief minister's remarks drew sharp reactions from the BJP, which alleged that Vijayan had insulted Sanatana Dharma in the holy land of Sivagiri and the followers of Sree Narayana Guru through his remarks.

"The crux of Vijayan's speech at the Sivagiri conference was that Sanatana Dharma should be hated. His remarks were a continuation of Udayanidhi Stalin's statement that Sanatana Dharma should be eradicated," senior BJP leader V Muraleedharan told the media. The former union minister sought to know whether the CM would have the courage to say such things about the Holy Quran, reported PTI.

The Hindu community in Kerala faced the greatest challenge during Vijayan's rule, the BJP leader said. The CM tried to challenge the faith at Sabarimala, and during Thrissur Pooram, he added. Muraleedharan also said that the people of Kerala would reject the Communist propaganda portraying Guru as an enemy of Sanatana Dharma.