L. Murugan

Loganathan Murugan (born 29 May 1977) is an Indian politician and advocate currently serving as Minister of State in the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. On 7 July 2021, he was made a Union Minister of State prior to which he was the state president of the Tamil Nadu unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party.[3][4]

In this Indian name, the name Loganathan is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by the given name, Murugan.
L. Murugan
L Murugan
L. Murugan in 2021
Minister of State in the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying
Assumed office
July 2021
Prime MinisterNarendra Modi
MinisterParshottam Rupala
Preceded byPratap Chandra Sarangi
Minister of State in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
Assumed office
7 July 2021
Prime MinisterNarendra Modi
MinisterAnurag Singh Thakur
Preceded byRajyavardhan Singh Rathore
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
Assumed office
2021
Preceded byThawar Chand Gehlot
ConstituencyMadhya Pradesh
7th State President of Bharatiya Janata Party, Tamil Nadu
In office
11 March 2020 – 7 July 2021
Preceded byTamilisai Soundararajan
Succeeded byK. Annamalai
Vice-chairman, National Commission for Scheduled Castes
In office
2017–2020
Preceded byRaj Kumar Verka
Succeeded byArun Halder
2nd State President of the Cultural Wing
Tamil Nadu
Assumed office
2021
PresidentTamilisai
Preceded byGayathri Raguram
Personal details
Born (1977-05-29) 29 May 1977
Konur, Namakkal district, Tamil Nadu[1]
Political partyBharatiya Janata Party
SpouseC. Kalaiyarasi
Children2
Parent(s)L Varudammal, Loganathan[2]
Residence(s)353, Gujji 1st Cross Street, Anna Nagar, Chennai,
Tamil Nadu, India
Alma mater

Personal and early life

Murugan was born into a Telugu-speaking Arunthathiyar family.[5][6][7] He was born to L Varudammal, Loganathan on 29 May 1977 in Konur of Namakkal district of Tamil Nadu.[1][8][9]

Murugan did his law degree at Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law College, Chennai and got his master's degree and PhD at University of Madras. Inspired by Hindutva ideology during his college days in 1997, he joined the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad,[10] and later the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. He has practiced law for at least 15 years also serving as the Standing Counsel to the Government of India at Madras High Court.[11][3][12] As a lawyer He has appeared in various cases on behalf of the BJP.[13]

He is fluent in English, Tamil and Telugu.[14]

Political career

Early political career

Murugan served as the national general secretary of the scheduled caste (SC) division of the RSS while he was in the RSS.[15]

In the 2011 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, he contested from the Rasipuram seat on a BJP ticket but got only 1800 votes. He served as the in charge of Kerala for some time.[10] He served as the vice-chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) from 2017 to 2020.[16][17] Murugan later resigned his post in the NCSC before one year of his term's end and met senior BJP leaders.[10]

During the agitations against NEET in Tamil Nadu, Murugan claimed that there were 'external forces' in the Suicide of S. Anitha and said that NEET is required.[18][19] Murugan claimed that there had been an increase of love jihad in Tamil Nadu in January 2020.[20][21]

BJP state president

On 12 March 2020, he was made chief of the BJP Tamil Nadu unit. He is the first from the Arunthathiyar community to hold the post.[16]

Murugan was supportive of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.[22][23][20] He was not very close to the leaders of Tamil Nadu BJP but was close with the National BJP leaders.[20] Murugan attempted to lead the BJP's Vel Yatra twice in 2020 to build support for Hindutva politics in Tamil Nadu, but was arrested both times.[24] Chief Minister of Puducherry V Narayanasamy said Vel yatra is a move by BJP to foment communal disharmony.[25] He called the 2020–2021 Indian farmers' protest in Delhi as "false propaganda" in December 2020.[26]

He contested the 2021 Tamil Nadu assembly elections from Dharapuram and lost to DMK's N. Kayalvizhi by 1,393 votes.[27]

Union minister

On 7 July 2021, Murugan was sworn in as the Minister of State in the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting during the Cabinet reshuffle.[28] Murugan is the first from the Arunthathiyar community to be made a Union minister since Independence.[29] He had 21 criminal cases against him in August 2021, the most of any minister in the Modi's cabinet.[30] Murugan claimed there were "vested interests" behind the 2020–2021 Indian farmers' protest in northern states in October 2021.[31]

He is member of Rajya Sabha representing Madhya Pradesh.[32]

Elections contested

Tamilnadu State Legislative Assembly Elections
Elections Constituency Party Result Vote percentage Opposition Candidate Opposition Party Opposition vote percentage
2011 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly electionRasipuramBJPLost1.07P. DhanapalAIADMK55.08
By-election, 2012SankarankoilBJPLost0.1S. MuthuselviAIADMK59.40
2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly electionDharapuramBJPLost45.67N. KayalvizhiDMK46.39

References
  1. "ஆர்எஸ்எஸ் முழுநேர ஊழியர் ஸ்ரீகணேசன் அறிமுகத்தால் அரசியலில் நுழைந்து மத்திய அமைச்சராக உயர்ந்த எல்.முருகன்". Hindu Tamil Thisai (in Tamil). 8 July 2021.
  2. The Times of India (18 July 2021). "Tamil Nadu: Son a Union minister, but L Murugan's independent mom and dad toil in fields". Archived from the original on 18 July 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  3. "TN BJP president L Murugan finds a place in PM Modi's Cabinet as Minister of Social justice". NewsMinute. 7 July 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  4. "Tamil Nadu BJP President L Murugan Sworn in As Cabinet Minister". News18. 7 July 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  5. Yamunan, Sruthisagar (9 November 2020). "Will the BJP's 'Vetrivel Yatrai' in Tamil Nadu end its alliance with the AIADMK?". Scroll.in. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  6. 5 things to know about L Murugan, TN's BJP leader who is part of Modi's cabinet. DTNext. 7 July 2021. Archived from the original on 7 July 2021. He was born in Paramathi in the Namakkal district of Tamil Nadu into a Telugu speaking family
  7. L Murugan's motive is to touch every voter with a hint of saffron. The Indian Express. 26 March 2021.
  8. "Who is BJP Tamil Nadu chief L Murugan, newly inducted into Union Cabinet". 8 July 2021.
  9. V6 Velugu (18 July 2021). "కొడుకు మంత్రి.. పొలం పనుల్లోనే పేరెంట్స్!: హ్యాట్సాఫ్ అన్న ప్రతిపక్ష". Archived from the original on 18 July 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  10. பாலாஜி, சே (7 July 2021). "மத்திய அமைச்சர் எல்.முருகன்: சட்டக் கல்லூரி முதல் டெல்லி அரசியல் வரை! - கடந்துவந்த பாதை". Vikatan (in Tamil). Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  11. "Who is BJP Tamil Nadu chief L Murugan, newly inducted into Union Cabinet". The Indian Express. 8 July 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  12. "PROFILE OF L. MURUGAN, VICE-CHARMAN, NCSC" (PDF). National Commission for Scheduled Castes. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  13. I, Shyamsundar (12 March 2020). "ஆர்எஸ்எஸ் பயிற்சி.. தேர்தல் தோல்வி.. சர்ச்சை மேல் சர்ச்சை.. யார் இந்த எல்.முருகன்? பின்னணி என்ன?". oneindia.com (in Tamil). Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  14. "மத்திய அமைச்சர் பதவியும் – அந்த 4 இடங்களும்; எல். முருகன் கடந்து வந்த பாதை!". Zee Hindustan Tamil (in Tamil). 8 July 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  15. "எல். முருகன் யார்? மத்திய அமைச்சர் ஆக உதவிய 'அரசியல் பாதை'". BBC News தமிழ் (in Tamil). Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  16. "Eight months after Tamilisai's departure, TN BJP gets Dalit face as new president". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  17. Bureau, ABP News (7 July 2021). "Cabinet Expansion: Tamil Nadu BJP Chief L Murugan Sworn In As Union Minister". news.abplive.com. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  18. "'We suspect some external force led to her suicide,' says SC commission chief on Anitha's death". The News Minute. 27 September 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  19. "External pressure behind Anitha suicide: NCSC vice-chairman". Deccan Chronicle. 28 September 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  20. I, Shyamsundar (12 March 2020). "ஆர்எஸ்எஸ் பயிற்சி.. தேர்தல் தோல்வி.. சர்ச்சை மேல் சர்ச்சை.. யார் இந்த எல்.முருகன்? பின்னணி என்ன?". oneindia.com (in Tamil). Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  21. Jaisankar, C. (30 January 2020). "NCSC asks police to probe 'love jihad' angle in BJP man's murder". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  22. "Tamil Nadu: Does a Leadership Position in the BJP Really Help the Dalits?". The Wire. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  23. "Will BJP's UP Model of Mobilising Scheduled Castes Work in Tamil Nadu?". The Wire. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  24. "TN BJP chief, party workers attempt to undertake Vel Yatra again, detained". The News Minute. 8 November 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  25. "Pondy CM dubs 'Vel Yatra' as move to foment communal strife". Deccan Herald. 6 November 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  26. Staff Reporter (16 December 2020). "Murugan: false propaganda on farm laws has failed". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  27. "TN BJP president L Murugan finds a place in PM Modi's Cabinet". The News Minute. 7 July 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  28. Akshaya Nath (8 July 2021). "Murugan rewarded with Union cabinet berth for delivering 4 BJP seats in Tamil Nadu". India Today. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  29. "With L Murugan's inclusion in Union Cabinet, BJP looks at a long term plan in Tamil Nadu". The News Minute. 15 July 2021. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  30. Team, N. L. (17 August 2021). "Who are Modi's ministers facing the most criminal cases?". Newslaundry. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  31. "'Vested interests' behind farm protests: Union Minister L. Murugan". The Hindu. 9 October 2021. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  32. "Union minister L Murugan elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha from MP". India Today. Press Trust of India. 28 September 2021. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
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