In a startling revelation, the prime accused of Peshawar’s Army Public School (APS) terror attack that took place on 16 December 2014, former Taliban commander, Ehsanullah Ehsan has claimed that the Pakistani Army is involved in running death squads, as reported in Sunday Guardian Live.
In yet another embarrassment for the Pakistani Army, an 11-minute audio clip was released by the former Taliban commander in which Ehsan makes public the names of the officers of the Pakistan Army, who had facilitated his “surrender” and were handling him.
If that was not enough, he further claimed that the Pakistani Military Intelligence (MI) to be part of a “death squad” that comprised surrendered terrorists from various groups including Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ehsanullah’s former group, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The purpose of recruiting such men is to carry out the dirty tasks of Pakistan Army which gives them selected targets to eliminate because these people are considered as “anti-state”, and hence chosen to be terminated.
During this interview with The Sunday Guardian, Eshan said he will be releasing the names of the individuals who were on this death list, public.
The Pakistani army has for a long time used these non-state actors to carry out their dirty work. Islamic terror groups have been used as a paramilitary to carry out acts of violence and murder.
When this list is released the long-held suspicion that Pakistan Army has been operating and managing death squads to eliminate “troublemakers” will see the light of the day.
However, this information could not have come at a worse time because Pakistan is up for another review by the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) which meets is expected in September and review Pakistan’s case before it is placed in front of the FATF plenary, most likely to be held October.
Ehsan told The Sunday Guardian that the list had names of people mostly from Peshawar, Quetta and Mardan. “I was shown a list of those individuals the Pakistan Army wanted to eliminate, many of them were Pashtuns from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and a few of them were journalists,”
In his disclosed, Eshan also talked about the death squads operating in the restive region of Balochistan. He said death squads are working in Balochistan, and are carrying out killings on the orders of the Pakistan Army.
Pakistan Army’s headquarters in Rawalpindi, spokesperson, Major General Babar said, “The comments made in the tape are absolutely baseless. He escaped while we were using him for an operation. He was in our custody and the information he gave helped us dismantle the terrorist organisations he was working for,”.
Two employees of Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department have been sacked for consuming alcohol and eating meat within the premises of the temple in Cuddalore district.
A video of the two HR&CE employees of Kolanjiappar Temple in Manavalanallur village, sitting and having liquor and meat in the temple premises went viral on social media.
In the video, one of them can also be heard saying, “Here, have some deer curry”.
Due to the curfew put in place to contain the Wuhan virus pandemic, only the staffs of the HR&CE department and the temple priests are being allowed to perform regular worship and cleaning work in the temples. Thought the government has allowed smaller temples to open for public worship, footfalls have been low. Taking advantage of the situation, some of the temple staff have been making merry by drinking alcohol, eating meat and smoking inside the Kolanjiappar temple. It was even reported that these employees were urinating and defecating within the temple premises.
Senthilvelan, the Joint Commissioner of HR&CE has sacked the 2 employees – Sivarajan and Sivakumar.
It is to be noted that cows, deer and peacocks are being raised in this temple. There were more than 20 deer. However, it was reported that there are only 10 deer present now. The temple administration says that the others have died.
Now doubts have arisen if whether these deer really died or were they killed to be consumed as meat.
Recently, two officials of the HR&CE department working in the Dhandayuthapani Swami Temple in Palani were suspended for consuming alcohol in the temple premises.
The Kolanjiappar temple located near Vriddhachalam is a temple dedicated to the Hindu God Murugan. The temple is associated with Sage Sundarar, one of the 63 Nayanmars. It is said that Sage Sundarar had come to Vriddhachalam during his old age and sang in praise of Vriddhagireeswarar. Lord Shiva pleased with the rendition wanted to listen to the song again. He sent his son Lord Murugan in the form of a hunter to the Kolanji forests were Sundarar was residing. The hunter took away the belongings of Sundarar and asked him to come to Vriddhachalam. Knowing that it was a divine play, Sundarar came to the Vriddhagireeswarar temple to sing in praise of Lord Shiva again. Lord Murugan set his abode in the Kolanji forests as Kolanjiappar.
In yet another crackdown and insult to the Uyghur Muslims, the communist government in China has demolished a mosque in Atush (in Chinese, Atushi) city, in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) and turned it into a public toilet, reported by Radio Free Asia.
Many observers who keep an eye on the plight of the Uyghur are calling it a campaign aimed at breaking the spirit of Uighur Muslims.
Construction for a restroom will be built over the Tokul mosque in Atush’s Suntagh village. Authorities had razed two of three mosques under the directive to destroy Muslim places of worship, also known as “Mosque Rectification.”
The Mosque Rectification drive is the sinister hardline policies under Xi Jinping. As per reports, nearly 1.8 million Uyghurs are under incarceration in a vast network of internment camps in the XUAR that began in April 2017.
The Muslims in China suffered a lot under Chairman Mao Zedong during the dark period of China’s 1966-76 Cultural Revolution.
In the last few years, the Chinese government have been systematically destroying Muslim cemeteries and other religious structures in this region. They have also populated the Xinjiang province with the majority of Han Chinese to have demographic control.
In a report published last year by the Washington-based Uyghur, Human Rights Project (UHRP) titled “Demolishing Faith: The Destruction and Desecration of Uyghurs Mosques and Shrines,”. This report used geolocation and other techniques to show that anywhere between 10,000 and 15,000 mosques, shrines, and other religious sites were destroyed between 2016 and 2019 by the communist regime.
Several ex and current apprentices along with local CPI (M) leaders picketed at the entrance of the Golden Rock Railway Workshop in Ponmalai in the first week of August, alleging that the railways showed bias by recruiting north Indians for Grade 3 posts like Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP), technicians (electrical/mechanical), fitter, and welder.
The protestors alleged that the railway officials discriminated against candidates from Tamil Nadu and were giving preference to north Indian candidates to fill Grade 3 posts while there were several from the state who had finished apprenticeships and have been waiting for jobs since 2008. They also raised questions about how the new recruits were allowed inside Tamil Nadu at this time when there are restrictions to travel between states. They asked whether the candidates carried e-pass and had swab tests done while subjecting themselves to mandatory quarantine period of 14 days. The protestors alleged that the new recruits from other states who had come to Tamil Nadu by flight for certificate verification did not quarantine themselves and that the whole recruitment process was fishy and lacked transparency.
The District Collector had called for a report and a detailed report was given. The Thiruverumbur MLA had met the Chief Workshop Manager (CWM) and gave a petition which was forwarded to the Principal Chief Personnel Officer (PCPO).
Background
On 3rd February 2018, the Railway Recruitment Board issued the notification calling for applications to the post of ALPs and technicians to fill the vacancies in different Zonal Railways and Production units. There were a total of 945 vacancies (ALPs and technicians) put together for Integral Coach Factory and Southern Railways.
The minimum qualification for the post of ALP is an ITI/Diploma or an Engineering degree. However, for the post of technicians, only those with ITI degrees in relevant fields are eligible.
A total of 541 candidates were selected from different states and were asked to report on March 23, 2020. That is when nationwide lockdown was imposed due to COVID19 and the process had to be postponed.
Claims
The New Indian Express reported that of the 581 vacancies only 12 were selected from Tamil Nadu and that the highest numbers of vacancies were filled by those from Bihar (163) and Rajasthan (115). It also mentioned that hundreds of new recruits from outside Tamil Nadu had attended the document verification process at the Railway Wedding Hall flouting lockdown and social distancing norms.
Truth
Were TN candidates discriminated?
The RRB has confirmed that of the total candidates who had applied, 51% were from Tamil Nadu. A total of 3218 candidates have been selected for the post of ALP and technicians of which 17% are from Tamil Nadu. Of the candidates selected for ALP, 53% of the candidates are from Tamil Nadu, the CPRO of Southern Railways said.
Yes, it is true that of the 541 vacancies for technicians only 12 from Tamil Nadu have been selected. However, the reason for this anomaly is that most of the candidates from Tamil Nadu are overqualified for the post of technicians as the qualification for the post demands only an ITI/Diploma. It is for a fact that southern states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh has a large proportion of engineering graduates than diploma holders. That is the reason why a significant number of ALP vacancies have been filled by candidates from Tamil Nadu as engineering degree holders are eligible to apply for this post.
Did those who came from other states flout lockdown norms?
As the nationwide lockdown was relaxed, the new recruits were notified to report for document verification from August 3 onwards. They were given clear instructions about the mandatory quarantine period before the document verification. Most of them had come by flights and some by special trains. They were subjected to swab tests and their results tested negative. After the mandatory 14 days quarantine period, they were issued Tamil Nadu e-pass to report to the workshop. The candidates who appeared for Certificate Verification were permitted only if they produced relevant documents in connection with Quarantine, SWAB test results and adherence to all Protocols laid down by Ministry of Home Affairs.
The new recruits were asked to report at 10:00AM but a few of them reached the Railway Kalyana Mandapam at 08:00 AM. The verification officials had reached the premises around 09:30 AM. Also, of the 114 people called on August 4, only 63 persons reported for the day and not in hu
Why aren’t ex-apprentices given these jobs?
As per the Apprentices Act, 1961, Indian Railways engages apprentices in workshops and production units to impart technical training and develop skilled manpower. Under the Act, there is no guarantee of permanent employment upon completion of apprenticeship. However, the Railway Board allocates 20% posts in RRC (Level-1) recruitments for which the apprentices who have completed their training can apply and qualify.
There seems to be no end in sight for the candidates who had given the Combined Graduate Level Examination 2018 (SSC CGL 2018), as the Staff Selection Commission is yet to declare the results of the Tier-3 examinations conducted in December 2019. With the coming of the Wuhan virus pandemic, the results of the Tier3 examination which was expected in May 2020 has been put on hold.
It has been more than 7 months since the candidates gave the examination and the entire process has stretched for close to 3 years.
This has put the candidates under immense mental and social pressure as their future remains at stake. Many of them are unable to chart out the next course as they anxiously wait for an update about the results every day.
The application process for the SSC CGL 2018 started on 5th May 2018. Tier-I examinations were conducted in the month of June 2019 while the Tier-II examinations were conducted in the month of September 2019. Both Tier-I and Tier-II are online examinations. The Tier-III is the third and last but one stage of the four tier examination which is in the descriptive format. After this stage, successful candidates have to finish the Tier-IV examination which comprises of computer proficiency test, skill test and document verification.
While it makes sense to not conduct examinations at the time of a pandemic, candidates are flummoxed about the delay in declaring results.
In light of this, Twitter saw the hashtag #SSC_Descriptive_Result trending. Many had expressed anguish over the Staff Selection Commission for keeping the candidates lingering for months.
Bollywood Actor Aamir Khan on Saturday (August 15) called on Turkish First Lady Emine Erdogan at the presidential residence in Istanbul, state run Anadolu Agency reported.
The report said that Aamir Khan had sought the meeting update about the work carried out by his non-profit, non-government organization Paani Foundation, which works in the area of drought prevention and watershed management in the drought hit regions of interior Maharashtra.
The report also noted that the actor praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for supporting ‘humanitarian projectes’ like education of women and children. The First Lady is said to have congratulated the actor for “courageous handling of social problems” in his films.
Both of them also discussed about similarities of Turkish and Indian cultures including food habit and handicrafts. The actor is said to have shared about how his Muslim mother’s influence shaped the actor’s entry into cinema.
I had the great pleasure of meeting @aamir_khan, the world-renowned Indian actor, filmmaker, and director, in Istanbul. I was happy to learn that Aamir decided to wrap up the shooting of his latest movie ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’ in different parts of Turkey. I look forward to it! pic.twitter.com/3rSCMmAOMW
The meeting between the two comes against the backdrop of sour relations between the two countries as Turkey has been moving closer towards Pakistan and China. It has been trying to forge an non-Arab alliance including Pakistan and Malaysia as alternative to the Arab dominated OIC to put pressure on India. However, his efforts are only facing a setback. Apart from this, intelligence agencies have raised red flags over influence of Turkey in Indian campuses to spread Islamic ideology. State-sponsored NGOs in Turkey are giving scholarships and exchange programs for Indian Kashmiri and Muslim students. Turkey has been using education as a tool to spread its influence around the world.
Aamir Khan in 2015 had claimed that his wife had suggested leaving India as they felt a sense of insecurity and fear. This was during the time when the debate of ‘intolerance’ was going around.
Aamir Khan is in Turkey to wrap up the shoot of his upcoming movie Lal Singh Chaddha an adaptation of the 1994 Hollywood classic Forrest Gump.
On a day when when India celebrated its 74th Independence Day, a historic event unfolded in the premises of Arivalayam, the DMK’s headquarters. For the first time in the history of Arivalayam, DMK chief MK Stalin, hoisted the Indian National Flag. Usually on Independence Day, the flag hoisting is done at the DMK headquarters by 2nd or 3rd line leaders. This time the DMK chief hoisted the flag flanked by senior leaders of the party likeT.R. Baalu, R.S. Bharathi, K.N. Nehru among others.
However, there was something that all netizens noticed. After hoisting the flag, it is customary that the person salutes and pays respects. The least one is expected to do is to stand in attention for a couple of minutes. But DMK chief Stalin after unfurling the flag tied it to the pole and turned his back to go about his work.
Section VI of the Flag Code of India states that during the ceremony of hoisting or lowering the flag, or when the flag is passing in a parade or in a review, all persons present should face the Flag and stand at attention while those present in uniform should render the appropriate salute.
Thus, the DMK chief who directly turned his back after hoisting amounts to disrespecting the Indian Flag.
In a bold move by the Modi government, all the doctors who have obtained medical degrees from Pakistan occupied Kashmir have been banned from India. On a notice that was released in this accord, the Medical Council of India announced that any qualification regarding medical degrees that were obtained in Pakistan occupied Kashmir will not be considered legal in India and forbade the doctors against practicing in India. The notice read as follows:
“This is to inform all concerned that entire territories of UT of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral part of India. Pakistan is in the illegal and forcible occupation of a part of the territory. Accordingly, any medical institution in Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh (PoJKL) require permission/recognition under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956” as reported by DNA.
The notice further adds that no permission has been granted to any medical college in PoJK, therefore, any qualification obtained from medical colleges located within these illegally occupied areas of India shall not entitle a person for grant of registration under Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 to practice modern medicine in India.”
This comes in the light of a recent expose that revealed that several hundred Kashmiri doctors who have obtained their medical degrees in Pakistan had links with Pakistani establishment. What is pertinent to note is that 6% of medical seats in Pakistan have been reserved for students from Kashmir. This is not just Pakistan occupied Kashmir, but Kashmir as a whole.
A security threat averted
This move by the Centre has more to it than what meets the eye. Intelligence unearthed a burgeoning scam that involves separatist parties, and the ISI/Pakistan government.
The quota given by Pakistan has been utilised to the fullest by Kashmiri separatists and they have been making a huge business out of this by recommending students to these reserved seats.
Pakistani government has classified its students into two categories:
Students supplying under foreign students seats through the Education Ministry of Pakistan
Students applying under the scholarship program
The latter category has 100% scholarship and free accommodation. This is the program that most Indian students from Kashmir are sent through to Pakistan. Preference is given for students whose parents or close relatives have died or “suffered at the hands of Indian forces”.
The benchmark for these students to get selected is how active they have been against India by participating in protests against India and attacking Indian Armed Forces.
Around 1600 scholarships were announced for Kashmiri students by the Pakistani government just for the year 2020. This was disclosed in a meeting of Pakistan National Assembly’s Standing Committee for Federal Education and Professional Training. Every year 50 students are sent to Pakistan under this programme for MBBS course alone.
Once these students are admitted they are put in touch with ISI and other Pakistani officials. These students are isolated from the other students in Pakistan and are hailed as jihad warriors.
What’s more is that the students who have been sent to Pakistan for studying medicine have been used as moles by the Pakistani government to extract information about India and its whereabouts.
It is surprising how a country that goes with begging bowls to China and other credit agencies has money to fund these scholarships.
A full-fledged scam
Hurriyat, ISI and the Pakistani government have been termed as the three apexes working together to brainwash Indian Kashmiri students who will be loyal towards Pakistan and its ideals.
This scam has been happening in broad day light for decades. However, it was only for the past two years that the NIA started cracking the whip on Kashmiri separatists by scrutinizing and blocking their funding sources.
These admissions were previously red-flagged by the NIA, and have found it to be an alternative mechanism for funding terror groups. A recent investigation by the NIA revealed that there were hundreds of recommendation letters that had been written by Kashmiri separatist leaders to the Pakistani VISA office, for students from Jammu and Kashmir. It was found that these leaders demanded money for issuing recommendation letters. This was even exposed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani who recently resigned from All Party Hurriyat Conference as its life time chairman. He had accused the Pakistani chapter of financial irregularities over the ‘sale of medical seats’ in Pakistan. Syed Ali Shah reportedly stopped issuing these recommendation letters two years ago after allegations of corruption surfaced. Notably, Syed Ali Shah Geelani was recently conferred with Pakistan’s highest civilian honour.
The Pakistani Government’s scholarship programme to Kashmiri students has been utilized by separatist elements to make some quick money by asking for monetary benefits for flouting the rules mandated by the scholarship. It is obvious that this money goes into funding activities against India by fomenting protests. Not just that, the security threat arising out of Pakistan educated professionals entering India has also been averted.
However, this massive development has however been left ignored by most top media houses.
An incident from a village near Vadamadurai in Dindigul district has come to light where a 16 year old girl was filmed by a DMK office bearer’s son when the girl had gone to relieve herself.
The girl from Thennampatti near Vada Madurai had gone to attend nature’s call near a pond. Pandiyarajan along with another man named Seran Raj, who had been indulging in illegal sand mining in the dry pond, filmed the girl.
Upon hearing the screams of the terrified girl, neighbours rushed to the spot and thrashed the DMK office bearer’s son and the person who had accompanied him.
Pandiyarajan is the son of DMK Farmer’s Wing Organizer of the region V.C Rajendran.
V.C Rajendran who reached the scene following the incident got into a brawl with the public and started hurling casteist slurs at the crowd for beating his son. The Vadamadurai police upon hearing about the incident came to the spot and arrested Seran Raj and Muthukumar for illegal sand mining. But the DMK office bearer and son managed to escape before the police arrived. Police are on the lookout for the father-son duo.
Across Tamil Nadu, large swathes of temple lands are being grabbed and taken over by Christian missionaries to construct prayer halls and other illegal structures. Some of the temple lands are being used for commercial activities while some of them have been encroached by human settlements. All this has been happening right under the nose of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Tamil Nadu government. Here are some of the instances that have happened in the recent past:
Pudukottai District
A water body belonging to an 18th century Siva temple in Pudukottai district is being encroached by Pentecostal Christians to build a Church. They have been filling it with sand to level it up despite opposition from local communities in the region. The temple priests who had stood up to the pastors were threatened.
Upon coming to know of the issue, District President of Indu Makkal Katchi M Solaikannan lodged a complaint with the SP of Madurai district against the construction of the prayer hall. The police have promised to take action.
Chennai
It is said that four grounds of land in prime part of the city belonging to the Gangadeeswarar Temple has been leased out for free to The Salvation Army, by the HRCE. The Salvation Army is a proselytizing Christian organization.
It is also said that around 96 acres of land belonging to a Siva temple has been leased to the Loyola College, a Jesuit institution for 99 years. Hindu organizations have been demanding to not renew the lease which expires in 2021.
Nagapattinam
Land belonging to the Ayyanaar Temple at Ariyamangalam on the Mayiladuthurai – Thirukadaiyur road has been bought by Christian missionaries. There existed a Sivan temple near this. An idol of Yoga Narasimhar belonging to the 11th or 12th century, stone carvings, pillars, idols, inscriptions were recovered from the site and kept at the Ayyanaar temple. The missionaries who have bought the land now claim that no such temple existed. This has led to the locals trying to get back the temple land from the land grabbers.
Mayiladutharai
Sivaloganathar and Swarnamukhi temple at Thennangudi near Mayiladutharai, said to be owned by Pachaiyappa trust and currently under the custody of HRCE, has been encroached. This temple is said to be around 1000 years old and is believed that Sage Agasthiyar and Thirugnanasambandar have sung about the deities in the temple. The temple which is situated on 9.5 acres had remained unattended in a dilapidated condition. Local Hindus made sure that regular poojas are performed. However, the encroachers have now occupied most of the area leaving only the part where the sanctum sanctorum is situated. Locals allege that priest and devotees were threatened by rowdies and had even removed a shed built for housing cattle by a donor from Chennai.
Erode
Miscreants had vandalized a temple by desecrating the Vinayagar idol and using the Vel (Lord Murugan’s weapon) to dig sand. They had removed and thrown the idols into a godown compound.
Kanyakumari
An attempt to raze down a Bhagavathi Amman Temple and felling off the holy tree at Thovalai to build a memorial for Kavimani Desiya Vinayagam Pillai was averted by the court.
The Madras High Court in 2018 had directed the HRCE department then to locate the 50,000 acres of temple lands in Tamil Nadu. No progress has been made on this.
Vizhupuram
1500 years old Jain stone beds (Samanar Padukai) in Theganurpatti near Gingee has been destroyed using explosives by miscreants. These stone beds have several inscriptions and images of Tirthankaras. They are of high historical significance.
Locals were quoted in Organiser saying that it was the work of Christian missionaries along with other anti-Tamil forces like the Dravidianists and Communists. They have asked for the Archaeological Survey of India to protect the monument.
Perambalur
Construction of Vinayagar temple was opposed by a school run by Christian authorities. Rover school had objected to the construction of the temple meant for the benefit of 200 families. The Christian authorities had used their influence higher up in the government to halt the building of the temple.
Tirunelveli
A cemetery was built by Christians just outside the Manimoortheswara Uchishta Ganapathy temple. The land which belongs to the temple was acquired illegally. Idols of Hindu Gods Vinayagar and Murugan were found in gunny bags near Karuppudurai Sivan Temple located near Melapalayam near Tirunelveli.
Cemetery being built by Christian fundamentalist groups right infront of Manimoortheswara Uchishta Ganapaty temple Tirunelveli , in temple land taken over by fraud.#ReclaimTemplespic.twitter.com/CQqOR1WZqR
Queensland amusement park near Poonamalle in Chennai has been sitting on the temple lands belonging to Kasi Viswanathar Temple and Sri Venugopalaswamy Temple of Pappanchatram near Poonamalle in Kanchipuram district since its inception. The amusement park owner Selvaraj, popularly known as Oorvasi Selvaraj owing to soap-making business, had taken the land for lease in 1991 under the pretext of carrying out farming activities. However, he had violated the agreement by indulging in commercial activities.
Selvaraj founded Oorvasi Soap Company, Queensland and King’s Engineering College. He was the Vice President of South Chennai branch of Indian National Congress from 1990 to 1997. He was elected MLA from Srivaikuntam constituency in 2006. Back then, he was the third richest MLA in the assembly according to sworn affidavits next only to Karunanidhi and Jalalithaa. He died in 2009. His wife Nalini Selvaraj is prominent Christian evangelist.
Nalini Selvaraj
The Kasi Viswanathar Temple and Sri Venugopalaswamy temple own 177.7 acres of land. The Queensland amusement park and the St. John’s International Residential School which is a kilometre away from Queensland are sitting on the lands owned by these temples which now remain in ruins while both the amusement park and the schools flourish.
Image Courtesy: Swarajya
In 2008, the local court ruled to a petition filed by the temple administration that the lessee had violated the lease agreement by indulging in commercial activities. An appeal against the court order was dismissed in 2013. The St. John’s school authorities were also a party to this suit.
St. John’s International School and the Queensland Amusement Park are located on 177.7 acres of land that was originally 1500 acres bought by a zamindar named Venkaiah in the 19th century. He had donated nearly 1000 acres of land where we have the Chembaramkkam Lake today. With the government gobbling the remaining as poromboke land, only 177.7 acres of the land remains which has also been encroached by Queensland and St. John’s School. The people of the area have stayed mum since some of their properties have also been located on temple lands.
The unruly Christian missionaries are not just encroaching temple lands but are also ousting other marginalized communities. A Christian pastor named Thangaraj has allegedly encroached 50 cents of housing lands granted to the Narikorava residents of Kuruvimalai near Kanchipuram, for building a Church. The Narikoravas say that Pastor Thangaraj is using his men and other anti-social elements who threaten and even attack them very often.
Apart from these, Muslims in and around the regions of Thanjavur, Mayiladuthurai, Kumbakonam, Nagapattinam regions have managed to occupy huge amount of properties. Some of them are said to be sitting on temple lands. What were once quaint agraharams have now become Muslim clusters.
As per law, temple properties cannot be rented out for commercial activities (non-farm activities) or to non-Hindu entities.
TR Ramesh, an activist working for relieving temples from state control, was quoted saying in the Organiser that this is how the officials at the HRCE department has been ruining temples. Mr. Ramesh had in a tweet mentioned that around ₹23.45 crores were transferred from the Dandayudhapani Temple in Palani (Palani Murugan temple) to the Common Good Fund from 2011 to 2018.
Not just this. The Tamil Nadu HR&CE department whose mandate is to maintain and safeguard temples along with ensuring that rituals and daily poojas are conducted as per Agamic texts has been going about doing things that are in blatant violation of the Agamas. The Annual Policy Note 2018-19 of the department notes that during 2011-2018, construction of toilets have been taken at a cost of ₹20.5 crores in 140 temples. While it is important that necessary facilities are constructed for devotees, there are cases where the department has built toilets at places unwarranted. For example, the Kailasanathar Temple administration has built toilets just behind the sanctum sanctorum and the water for the toilet is being drawn from the well that is used to perform Abhishegam for the deity.
BJP National Secretary H. Raja alleges that 5% of the temples that existed in Tamil Nadu are no more. Among the recorded 38,646 temples, at least 1800 of them could have been to make way for where building and commercial complexes and another 20% of the temples remain abandoned or underused, Mr. Raja says.
Apart from these, Muslims in and around the regions of Thanjavur, Mayiladuthurai, Kumbakonam, Nagapattinam regions have managed to occupy huge amount of properties. Some of them are said to be sitting on temple lands. What were once quaint agraharams have now become Muslim clusters.