Chennai: Backing beleaguered Tamil writer Perumal Murugan, who has withdrawn himself from literary world after a controversy over one of his novels, DMK Treasurer M K Stalin on Friday said the former was being ‘targeted and hounded’ by ‘intolerant people’.

"Tamil Novelist and Writer Perumal Murugan is targeted and hounded by intolerant people who are encouraged and supported by fundamentalists. Their only aim is to create a rift among the peaceful and freedom loving citizens of Tamil Nadu," he posted on his official Facebook page.

After earning the wrath of local groups opposing the depiction of certain practices concerning childless couple in Tireuchengode town in the novel, Murugan had withdrawn from the literary world, declaring, "Perumal Murugan the author is dead," after tendering an unconditional apology in a peace meeting convened by the government.

His reaction had stunned the literary world, triggering a raging debate over freedom of expression.

Making a similar post in another micro-blogging site, Stalin said Tamils had a 'proud history' of tolerance and they encouraged only debates and not violence.

"Tamil Nadu has always been a place where healthy debates have taken place for thousands of years on various subjects including religion and social issues we neither resort to nor support violence in the name of Hinduism or Christianity or Islam or atheism," he said.

Stalin said people of the state would not condone violence by 'vested interests,' in the name of religion and reiterated his party's support to freedom of expression.

"DMK as a democratic party with secular views will forever stand against religious fundamentalism and unstintingly support Article 19 of the Indian constitution that guarantees freedom of speech and expression," he said.