Chennai, Nov 3 (IANS): The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M.K. Stalin, here on Sunday, termed as `Tamil betrayal' the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) attempt to saffronise Tamil saint-poet Thiruvalluvar to grow the party in the state.

Stalin was reacting to a tweet by the BJP's TN unit where the image of poet-saint Thiruvalluvar in saffron dhoti with sacred ash on forehead and biceps was posted.

Along with the image, a couplet by Thiruvalluvar questioning the use of education for a person if he/she doesn't pray at the god's feet was also posted.

Reacting to the tweet, Stalin said the BJP's attempts to saffronise Thiruvalluvar was 'Tamil betrayal'. Stalin told the BJP the colour would run off even if it was dyed several times. "Instead of dyeing, read Thirukkural and try to reform," Stalin advised.

The Tamil Nadu government's official image of Thiruvalluvar sports a white dhoti and no sacred ash on the forehead.

Interestingly, the Thai translation of Thirukkural, launched by Prime Miniser Narendra Modi in Bangkok, had the image of Thiruvalluvar in white dress without the sacred ash on the forehead.

Thirukkural or sacred verses, written by Thiruvalluvar, comprises 1,330 couplets on ethics and morality.