Tension prevailed in Rakkiyapatti village under the Ettiveerampalayam panchayat in Avinashi taluk of Tiruppur district after local residents protested against the demolition of a Murugan temple that was allegedly built on encroached government land.
According to officials, the temple Kumarankundru, known locally as Selvamuthu Kumarasamy Temple, had been constructed on approximately 2.8 acres of government poramboke land. The complex reportedly included shrines for Murugan, Vinayagar, a Sivalingam and Nandi, and was also referred to as Kumaran Kundru by locals.
The Selva Muthukumarar Temple, located in the Eettiveerampalayam area of Perumanallur in Tiruppur District, is an ancient temple serving as the kuladeivam (family deity) place of worship for the people of that region. This temple is associated with the renowned Alagumulai Murugan Temple in Tiruppur District.
Revenue department officials, led by Avinashi Tahsildar Chandrasekar, carried out the demolition drive with heavy machinery. The operation was conducted under police protection, with more than 100 personnel deployed under the supervision of Avinashi Deputy Superintendent of Police Sivakumar to prevent law and order issues.
As the demolition began, members of Hindu Munnani and local residents, including a large number of women, gathered at the site and raised slogans opposing the removal of the temple. Protesters accused the authorities of targeting a place of worship and demanded that the demolition be halted.
When police attempted to clear the area and disperse the crowd, heated arguments broke out between officials and protesters, leading to brief scuffles and pushing. Police later removed the protesters from the site to continue the operation.
Following the confrontation, the area witnessed heightened tension and police maintained a strong presence to prevent further escalation. Officials stated that the action was part of an encroachment clearance drive on government land, while protesters continued to voice opposition to the demolition of the temple.
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