Madurai youth, who faced harassment by a Dravidianist journalist and the police in the Thirupparankundram Hills for questioning DMK ally and IUML Ramanathapuram MP Navaskani, has been granted anticipatory bail by the Madras High Court in connection with a fabricated case filed by a Sun News journalist.
வழக்கின் DSR. FIR பதிவிறக்கம் செய்து காண முடியாத வகையில் காவல்துறையால் முடக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. #Thiruparankundram #SaveThiruparankundram #Annamalai #BJP #Tamilnadu #WAQF #HighCourt #Justice pic.twitter.com/eqTZGwEwbM
— J.K.GogulBalaji (@JKGogulBalaji) January 30, 2025
On 21 January 2025, Selvasaravanan, a journalist from Sun News, filed a complaint with the Thirupparankundram police, alleging that the youth had disturbed his press meeting in the Thirupparankundram foothills. The complaint claimed the youth had unnecessarily questioned the MP, verbally abused the journalist and the police present, and made scandalous statements on social media.
This incident took place when the youth visited the Thirupparankundram Hills to worship at the Kasi Vishwanathar Temple. On his way back, he noticed a group of press people and police officers gathered for a press meet with the MP. At that time, there were protests related to the hills, with Islamist groups claiming the Hindu sacred site as Sikkandar Hills and asserting their right to sacrifice goats and roosters at the Temple Hills dargah.
As the youth passed by, he attempted to record the proceedings of the MP’s press meet. Noticing that the Dravidian journalist was not asking any significant questions, the youth asked whether the dargah on the hills fell under the Waqf Board, to which the MP confirmed. This prompted a strong reaction from the Dravidian journalist, who felt insulted and subsequently threatened and harassed the youth. Later, the Sun News journalist filed a complaint with the local police, leading to further complications for the youth.
In the video he said, “Today afternoon, around 12 o’clock, I visited and worshipped the Kashi Vishwanathar temple in Thirupparankundram his via the hill path by chance. On my way back, the police had set up barricades and stopped Ramanathapuram MP Navaskani, who was standing there. As I was climbing down, I saw a press meet happening, and I thought I’d record it. At that point, there was no press meet happening as I was descending, but once I reached the bottom, a press meet was underway, so I continued recording. While recording, I didn’t recognize the MP and was casually filming the event with my phone. Reporters present there were questioning him, and at the end, I asked a question while recording that ‘Does the Dargah on the hill come under the Waqf Board?’ He responded, saying that it falls under the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board. When he concluded, the reporters’ reactions you can see in the video. It seemed like they were treating me as though I had committed some murder crime in their face reactions. They asked, ‘Are you a reporter? You shouldn’t be asking such questions. This is a press meet!’ But the press meet was already over, and I was asking my question at the end. If they didn’t want it, they could’ve just cut the part and use it. What was the problems here was… Perhaps they were upset because they couldn’t ask the questions they had prepared, or maybe they felt it would affect their earnings, which I am not aware. Some reporters I knew took it casually, but one reporter—who I’m not sure was from Sun News—became agitated and visibly angry, asking, ‘Are you a reporter? Show me your ID.’ I told him I wasn’t a reporter and that I was just recording as a member of the public, I can’t show my ID. While this was happening, Madurai CID SP, who was dressed casually and standing among the reporters, stepped in and scolded me, saying, ‘What you’ve done is wrong. Who are you to show your ID card? Are you a big man or district head?’ He also insulted me, mentioning ‘BJP’ and ‘May*ra’ which I could not record at the time. The Thirupparankundram police present there then tried to evict me from the area and forced me to leave via another route.”
Backdrop
The sacred Hindu site of Thirupparankundram Hills is facing growing tension, with controversial actions by a Muslim politician fueling divisive rhetoric. Indian Union Muslim League member and Ramanathapuram MP Navas Kani, who also serves as the chairman of the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board, has claimed that the dargah at the hilltop is Waqf property. This statement has sent shockwaves through the region and intensified existing tensions.
This development is part of a series of incidents that have strained relations between Hindus and Muslims, who had previously lived in harmony. Some Islamists groups have been attempting to assert their rights to conduct animal sacrifices at the hilltop, furthering their claims that the entire Thirupparankundram Hills should be recognized as Sikkandar Hills.
The situation escalated on 27 December 2024, when Madurai police intervened to detain a group of Muslims family attempting to bring goats and roosters to the hilltop dargah for ritual sacrifice. Syed Abu Dahir, a 53-year-old from Malaiyadipatti in Rajapalayam, arrived with his family and animals for the ceremony but was stopped by authorities at the base of the hill. Police informed them that bringing livestock up the hill was prohibited, which led to a protest by over 20 local Muslims at the foot of the hill in solidarity with the family.
The following week, on 5 January 2025, another large group of Muslim protesters gathered at Thirupparankundram Hills, demanding permission to offer prayers at the mosque located at the top. When the police denied their request, tensions escalated, leading to a brief scuffle and the detention of the protesters.
On 17 January 2025, during the Santhanakoodu Festival at a nearby dargah, social media posts began circulating about an upcoming “Equality Feast” (Samabanthi Bhojan) on 18 January at the hilltop dargah, where goats and roosters were allegedly to be sacrificed. Fearing communal unrest, police set up barricades and conducted searches to prevent the transportation of livestock to the hill. When the dargah Jamath was informed that animal sacrifices were not allowed, protests broke out. Members of the Jamath, along with other Muslim protesters, clashed with the police, causing further disruptions.
The situation was exacerbated by the involvement of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), an ally of AIADMK and a group linked to the banned terror outfit PFI. These elements are believed to be behind the attempts to conduct animal sacrifices at the sacred Thirupparankundram Hill.
Furthering tensions, on 21 January 2025, DMK Manapparai MLA Abdul Samad was accused of conducting an illegal survey around the temple with intentions to gain control of the hill. On the same day, IUML member and Ramanathapuram MP Navas Kani was seen giving an interview near the Thirupparankundram Hills. When asked whether the dargah at the hilltop was under the Waqf Board, Kani confirmed, “Yes, it is under the control of the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board,” further heightening tensions in the area.
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