Tensions rose at the Vaikasi Visakam festival at Velimalai Murugan Temple near Thakkalai in Kanyakumari district after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and members of a Hindu organisation objected to the participation of DMK minister Mano Thangaraj, who is a Christian and had recently mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi doing Sashtanga Namaskaram.
Following the protest, 63 individuals, including M.R. Gandhi, a Member of the Legislative Assembly (M.L.A.), were subsequently arrested. The event, which was presided over by the District Collector, had left the local community in disappointment.
The Velimalai Murugan Temple is situated in Kumarakovil in Kanya Kumari district. Yesterday, the temple, which falls under the administration of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, witnessed the grand procession of the Vaikasi Visakam festival. Lord Murugan, accompanied by Valli and Devasena, participated in one Charriot, while Lord Vinayaka joined another. The procession was inaugurated by Ministers Anitha Radhakrishnan and Mano Thangaraj.
During the event, however, members of the BJP and Hindu organisations protested the participation of DMK Minister Mano Thangaraj, a converted Christian. Several Hindu leaders gathered near the temple, including M.R. Gandhi, MLA and district leader of the BJP, Dharmaraj, leader of the Hindu Makkal Katchi, Arjun Sampath, leader of the Hindu Munani, and Misa Solomon, representative of the Kottai Purappadalar.
The Thakkalai Hindu Munnani had already filed a complaint with the sub-collector’s office protesting Minister Mano Thangaraj’s participation as a sign of protest as he frequently mocked Hindu faith in the past.
அழைப்பிதழில் உள்ள யாரும் கலந்து கொள்ளாமல் பொதுமக்கள் தேரை வடம்பிடித்து இழுத்தனர்… pic.twitter.com/hPqLmO68B6
— A.T.Elangovan (@elangovan_HM) June 1, 2023
As Hindu leaders gathered in front of the chariot, DMK cadres and supporters of DMK Ministers Mano Thangaraj and Anitha Radhakrishnan flocked to the scene, creating a tense atmosphere.
Later, police officers led by Kumbakonam district SP Hariharan and Tenkasi SP Krishnaraj arrested 63 people, including M.R. Gandhi, MLA, and Arjun Sampath.
Earlier, the chariot festival at Kanyakumari Bhagavathy Amman Temple commenced at 7 AM, preceding the procession at Kumaragiri Murugan Temple. Ministers Anitha Radhakrishnan and Mano Thangaraj inaugurated this event as well. Members of the BJP and Hindu organisations also expressed their opposition to DMK Minister Mano Thangaraj’s participation at Bhagavathy Amman Temple.
However, Hindu Munnani state spokesperson said on Twitter that the chariot procession was held with public support and without the presence of those named in the notice, including DMK Minister Mano Thangaraj.
Mano Thangaraj, the present Dairy Minister of Tamil Nadu, originates from Kanyakumari district and follows the Christian faith. During his time in college, he served as the student union president at Marthandam Christian College. He entered politics as a member of the DMK and was elected as an MLA in 2016. He secured victory again in the 2021 assembly election and assumed the role of Minister of Information Technology. However, due to his underwhelming performance in that department, he was reassigned to the dairy department during a recent cabinet reshuffle. Mano Thangaraj has been known to make occasional derogatory remarks about Hinduism. He seems to disregard the need to show respect towards the majority religion while practicing his own alternative faith. His tendency to express religious opinions has often landed him in controversies.
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