The Tirunelveli police have booked 9 members belonging to Indu Makkal Katchi (IMK) in connection with the incident where the cemetery built by the local Church in front of the Manimoortheeswaram Ganapathy temple was demolished on the night of October 17.
Earlier it was reported that the act was said to be carried out by IMK cadres.
The cemetery had been built by a local Church right in front of the temple spanning around 2 acres.
Locals and temple devotees objected and protested against the coming up of the cemetery since the beginning.
In November 2019, Legal Rights Observatory, an non-profit legal activism organization working towards safeguarding Indian interest had filed a complaint with the Tirunelveli District Collector requesting for the removal of encroachment of Christian cemetery. Responding to that complaint, the district administration had stated that the Christian cemetery is located on a private land. It added that section 145 has been imposed on the piece of land and burial rituals had been stopped due to the objections raised by the devotees and local people.
LRO has lodged complaint to Tamilnadu's Tirunelveli DC requesting removal of encroachment of Christian cemetery illegally started at very near to the Gopuram of ancient Manimoortheeswaram Uchishta Ganapathy Temple. It is heinous attempt to usurp temple land in future @arunv2808 pic.twitter.com/XwHyVIL8Fh
— Legal Rights Observatory- LRO (@LegalLro) November 7, 2019
However, burial rituals kept continuing in a portion of the cemetery. Around 50 graves is said to have come up in that portion.
Repeated pleas by the locals and Hindu organizations to Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments department and district administration did not seem to have made any progress. On the night of October 17, cadres belonging to the IMK is said to have demolished around 40 of the graves.
Passers-by who saw the damaged cemetery on the morning of October 18 informed the Thachanallur police station. The police then inspected the area and are inquiring into the matter.
Speaking to The Commune, Indu Makkal Katchi sources said “We have been asking for the removal of that cemetery for a long time. Our requests and pleas had fell on deaf ears of the Tamil Nadu HR&CE department. They have not even cared to protect the temple of which they are a custodian. Since there was no action despite repeated requests, our cadres took the matter into the hands. The persons responsible would be surrendering soon.”