Murugan’s resignation letter: Praise for Modi’s Tamil outreach, from Sitharaman and Jaishankar to Thirukkural and Sengol

When Union minister of state L Murugan resigned from the Cabinet and Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, he did so with an unusually long, five-page emotional letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The letter is as much an account of his trajectory from an ABVP worker in Tamil Nadu, as it is a tribute to the Prime Minister.

Murugan has been minister of state for Information and Broadcasting and for Parliamentary Affairs since 2021. A Dalit leader who led the Tamil Nadu unit in 2020, he said in his letter that he wants to prepare the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. He said he hopes to help the Prime Minister win “another term under your leadership, this time with a landslide contribution of seats from Tamil Nadu.”

Murugan began his letter by describing the Prime Minister’s recent visit to Tamil Nadu. “Your recent visit to Tamil Nadu has left a deep impression on me,” he said, adding that at every stop he “witnessed the affection with which people welcomed you and the hope your presence inspired.” He said the experience renewed his “resolve to do more for Tamil Nadu, our party and our nation.”

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He then spoke of what the Prime Minister’s leadership has meant for him. “It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve India and Tamil Nadu under your leadership. I do not come from a political family. I come from a very poor family,” he wrote. His parents, who worked as daily wage labourers and cattle grazers, “continue to lead a simple life in Konur village”, he said.

Murugan credited Modi and the BJP’s culture of recognising grassroots karyakartas and giving him opportunities far beyond his expectations. He described every responsibility he received as “an expression of your trust” – from the National Commission for Scheduled Castes to the Rajya Sabha and the Council of Ministers.

Describing his five years in the Council of Ministers, Murugan said he witnessed the Prime Minister’s “patience, compassion and extraordinary dedication” at close quarters. He quoted a couplet from the Thirukkural and gave its meaning in English: “A ruler endowed with generosity, compassion, just governance and care for his people shines as a light among rulers.”

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The minister said he has felt Modi’s concern for the state personally. “Whenever I have approached you for help, whether on an issue affecting our State, the safety of Tamilians stranded in conflict zones, or the welfare of Indian fishermen, you have gone above and beyond to ensure that the matter receives urgent attention and is addressed quickly,” he said.

Murugan then listed projects he credited to the Centre. These include support for the Chennai Metro, the expansion of Tuticorin Port, highway expansion and the redevelopment of 26 railway stations in Tamil Nadu under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. He said he was “overjoyed to see the extraordinary transformation you are bringing to Tamil Nadu.”

On fisheries, he pointed to the Prime Minister’s support for deep-sea fishing vessels. He also noted Modi’s “personal interest in the deep-tech ventures emerging from IIT Madras,” which he said “reflects your concern for both traditional livelihoods and the opportunities of the future.” He added that he was “deeply touched” by how much personal interest the Prime Minister takes in the state’s aspirations.

A large part of the letter is devoted to Tamil culture and heritage, a theme the BJP has pushed in the state. “I can never forget your special gesture of coming to my residence three times to participate in Pongal celebrations,” Murugan wrote. He recalled Modi quoting “Yaadhum Oore, Yaavarum Kelir” at the United Nations, which, he said, carried “Tamil civilisation’s timeless message to the world.”

Murugan said the Prime Minister often speaks of his love for the Kural in their meetings, “revealing how deeply you cherish Thiruvalluvar’s teachings.” He also mentioned Modi’s recent gift of the Thirukkural to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The installation of the Sengol in Parliament, he said, “holds a special place in our hearts, giving Tamil Nadu’s heritage a place of honour at the very centre of our democracy.”

The letter also credits the Prime Minister with honouring Tamil Nadu’s public figures. Murugan named La Ganesan and CP Radhakrishnan, who “were entrusted with gubernatorial responsibilities,” and said Radhakrishnan’s elevation to Vice President “has brought further pride to Tamil Nadu.” He added that his immediate predecessor as state BJP president, Tamilisai Soundararajan, was likewise made Governor and Lieutenant Governor.

Murugan went on to cite two Union Cabinet colleagues. “One of India’s longest-serving Finance Ministers Smt Nirmala Sitharaman comes from Tamil Nadu, and our External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar is of Tamil origin,” he wrote, calling their roles a reflection of the Prime Minister’s “confidence in Tamil Nadu’s talent.”

He framed the party’s approach to talent as a message to workers. The Prime Minister’s “consistent recognition of hardworking karyakartas has also been a source of strength for every party worker,” he wrote. It reassures them, he added, “that dedication, perseverance and service will find recognition, irrespective of their family background.”

Murugan said everything he has received from the party and from Modi “has deepened my sense of responsibility.” The Prime Minister’s dedication to India, Tamil Nadu and the BJP, he wrote, “makes me feel that I must now give more of myself to the work that first brought me into public life.”

That work, he explained, is organisational. “I want to go to every village and every street, meet our people, stand beside our karyakartas and help expand the party’s presence in every part of the State,” he wrote. He said he also wants to “carry your message of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwaas to every person, and help every family see its place in the journey towards Viksit Bharat.”

The BJP has long sought to widen its footprint in Tamil Nadu, where the Dravidian parties have dominated electoral politics for decades. Murugan’s letter reads as a signal that the party sees the state as central to its 2029 plans. It also shows that a senior Tamil Nadu face in the Union government is willing to leave office to work on that goal.

The letter does not say who might replace Murugan or whether the Prime Minister has accepted his request. Whether the BJP will formally give him a new organisational role in the state is also unclear.

Murugan closed on a note of personal gratitude. “The trust you placed in a son of daily wage labourers will remain the greatest privilege of my life,” he wrote. “I now seek your blessings to repay that trust through tireless work among our people and our party workers.”