C. Vijayaraghavachariar

Who was C. Vijayaraghavachariar?

Chakravarti Vijayaraghavachariar was an Indian politician. He rose to prominence following his appeal against the charges alleging him to have instigated a Hindu - Muslim riot in Salem. The legal battle and eventual victory in proving his innocence earned him the title The Lion of South India.

He entered politics as a member of the Salem Municipal Council in 1882. His prominence in the national media and friendship with Allan Octavian Hume, a civil servant and reformer, led him to be invited to the first sessions of the Indian National Congress. Once within the Congress, he rose to serve as its president in 1920.

He played a key role in framing the Swaraj Constitution. He also was part of the Propaganda Committee of the Congress and thus served in spreading the ideologies of the party to the masses. Apart from his role in the Congress, he also served as the president of Hindu Mahasabha, a Hindu nationalist party, in 1931.