Motivational speaker 'Maha Vishnu' ‘karma, rebirth’ remarks at Chennai schools spark controversy

A motivational and spiritual speaker, “Maha Vishnu”, faced backlash after making comments on “rebirth and karma” at two government schools in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and allegedly blaming the children for their difficulties. Two government schools in Chennai invited Maha Vishnu, who runs an NGO, to deliver a motivational speech on the occasion of Teachers’ Day The controversy sparked when Maha Vishnu used the school setting to make “religious remarks” and engaged in a heated exchange with a differently abled teacher who challenged his statements. Congress MP Karti P Chidambaram also took to X saying, “Distressing to see a charlatan peddle gobbledygook in a government school in Tamil Nadu.” Meanwhile, a source from the School Education Department, quoted by PTI, revealed that the principals of the two schools who invited Maha Vishnu have been transferred, and a departmental inquiry is underway. Thirupathy criticised the minister's action against the principal, saying it was based on social media posts and was “not only ridiculous but also reprehensible.” “Without knowing that spirituality is science, the Tamil Nadu government is supporting the inimical forces that are sowing anti-Hindu thoughts in the name of rationality,” he said in a post on the social media platform X, urging the government to revoke the transfer order against the principal.