News Tamil Nadu

DMK Govt Says There Is No Ban On Ram Mandir Consecration Celebrations In TN Temples, These Instances Show Otherwise

January 22, 2024
The Commune

As the Pran Prathishtha ceremony gets underway at Ayodhya on 22 January 2024, devotees in the state of Tamil Nadu are in a fix. There have been verbal orders to not permit any kind of special pujas, annadanam, LED screening, bhajans, etc at temples under the ambit of the Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments department. 

In some places, LED screenings in public places are not being permitted while in others, such screening within temple premises is not permitted. The police have been witnessed entering the premises of such private temples and dismantling LED screen setups. Here is a list of the permission-related instructions given by the government department in Tamil Nadu.

Instruction To Private Schools

Private schools in Tamil Nadu planning to observe the consecration at Ayodhya, even within their premises, are now required to obtain permission from either the District Collector or the Judiciary, according to a new rule by the TN Police. This note was received by a school in the Villupuram district.

Temple Permission Denial Note

The DMK government in Tamil Nadu has faced criticism for its Anti-Sanathana Dharma stance, imposing a sweeping ban on conducting special pooja and Annadhana during Pran Prathishtha in Ayodhya. Verbal denials from the HR&CE department and purported frivolous reasons from the TN Police have been cited for rejecting requests, including the live telecast of the event on a large LED screen organized by BJP in the state as well as by other groups for devotees. Here are some of the proofs of permission denial to Kothandaramar temple, Rangapuram. In Kanyakumari, permission was denied citing communal reasons. 

The devotees of Thenthiruperai Perumal temple in Thoothukudi district were also denied permission to conduct bhajans and set up loudspeakers in the vicinity of the temple. The reason given for the denial is the law and order problem in the Srivaikundam locality.

The private temple of Kanchi Kamakshi which belongs to the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham in Kanchipuram witnessed the dismantling of LED screens by the TN Police preventing the live streaming of the ceremony.

Below is the permission denial note for pujas in relation to the Pran Prathishtha at Aralvaimozhi Meenakshi Sundareshwar temple in Nagercoil.

A leaked audio recording of a conversation between a devotee and an HR&CE official of the Poonamallee Perumal temple explicitly indicates that they have been verbally directed not to permit any activities within the Temple premises related to Pran Pratishtha.

Erode Police denied permission for sound and light setup at Kallukkadaimedu Anjaneyar Temple, Erode, for a live telecast of Ayodhya’s Kumbabhishekam by the BJP. The refusal cited conditions including no slogans against any religion, smooth traffic, no plexiglass banners, and a prohibition on lighting and sound. 

Police in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, denied permission to Bhagavathi Amman Temple administrators in A. Vellodu for a special annadanam event on 22 January 2024, citing inadequate details on participants, potential disruptions, and concerns about religious sentiments in the Christian-populated area. Permission was rejected to avoid potential law and order issues and disturbances to public peace. 

 

In Avadi, Chennai, police denied permission for Ram Nama Bhajan and Annadhanam. The rejection of permission was cited opposition from VCK and DMK in a private venue like a marriage hall. This was challenged in court and on 22 January 2024, it was urgently heard before the Madras High Court in the morning of 22 January and the Hon’ble Madras High Court said that conducting such functions can’t be stopped inside private premises.

It has come to light the Tamil Nadu government has affirmed to the Supreme Court that there is no official ban on organising screenings of the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishta ceremony or conducting special poojas and bhajans in observance of the occasion. The Supreme Court duly recorded this statement, emphasising that permission cannot be denied solely based on the presence of other communities in the locality.

Furthermore, the apex court directed the Tamil Nadu government to maintain a comprehensive record of applications received and decisions taken regarding events related to the celebration. This was in response to a petition filed by a TNBJP member, Vinoj Selvam. 

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