BJP's dilemma in Tamil Nadu: Political ploy or 'clerical error'

There was never a demand for separate statehood in independent India in the name of Kongu Nadu

Early this month, when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came up with the list of new ministers, it raised many eyebrows down south and triggered a fresh controversy in Tamil Nadu. The profile of L Murugan, the only minister who was not a member of Parliament, showed that he hailed from “Kongu Nadu”, a commonly used name for parts of western Tamil Nadu.

While this sparked a social-media controversy, this was followed by an article in a local newspaper quoting unconfirmed sources with a flashy headline that claimed that “Tamil Nadu to be divided, Kongu Nadu to be created”. Adding