News Tamil Nadu

Nirmala Sitharaman Slams DMK Govt Over Removal Of LED Screens At Kanchipuram Temple Where She Was To Watch Ram Mandir Consecration

January 22, 2024
The Commune

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on 21 January 2024 posted on her X handle about how the TN government had banned the LED screening of the Ram Mandir Pran Prathishtha ceremony.

Speaking to news reporters at Madhuranthakam in Chenglepet district in TN, she said, “The whole country and many countries across the world are eagerly awaiting the Pran Prathishta of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. The arrangements for the celebration have been made by the people themselves, not any party or organisation. The people in their own interest decided that they wanted to see the ceremony proceedings and arranged for several things, it was the people’s effort. But when I landed here, from yesterday, from the public themselves, not my party members alone, I heard that the government was preventing them from carrying out whatever they had planned. Even when we ask for permission, they are refusing it. Our letters are just like that, they are saying they never refused it. But if we make the arrangements for some bhajan or puja or set up a mic, police are threatening us. He (Sekar Babu) can very well say it is a rumour and a lie. How can a Union minister say something like this? No, I do not interfere in such matters so easily. But till midnight last night – continuous phone calls, public and my party people. I had informed the state government of my Kanchipuram plan beforehand, my itinerary was passed on long back, they also sent my programme schedule to Kanchipuram – everything was fine. But the event I was supposed to participate in, a sub-inspector there threatened the organisers to dismantle the LED setup that was going to be used for Ram Mandir Pran Prathishth live streaming. The organisers called me up. I even told them you have invited me and what can I do? Till the night, the subinspector was there. There was a discussion with collectors, SP, and all the officials. Everyone said since the rejection letter did not come to hand, you can continue with the programme, if you want. There is no letter in hand. That is a public place, you cannot carry out anything there, law and order problems may arise, they say. Ok, if we thought we could go and do the same inside the temple, there was already a directive in place that no such things could be done. I can list out to you the temples that received such an instruction. You can check out Sekar Babu’s tweet itself. People are replying to his tweet – with rejection letters from various temples. There are so many. I am not spreading rumours.”

She continued, “Let me tell you one more thing. In today’s Dinamalar paper, there was an article saying “Prohibited”. The minister is replying to me that I must not spread rumours. You all are journalists here. But if Dinamalar says it is rumour and even if the rest of them say it, it is not a rumour, why cannot Minister Sekar Babu give a response to that rumour itself? He should have said, you are journalists, you should do due diligence before publishing this, what you have published is wrong, I assure you that such an instruction is not even in place, tell the people. Should he not tell the people that if you want to celebrate this event, you can surely do it and there will be no prevention to this. He did not say that. The police are standing there even now. The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department – should this department not participate and aid the people with their worship and pujas? They should cooperate but instead, they are making police there and saying where is the letter, did we reject it – they will not reject, they will not accept, they will stretch this till the end but they have rejected permission for a few.”

Speaking to Times Now’s Navika Kumar on the allegations of Sekar Babu that Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was trying to “distract attention” Away from the DMK Youth Wing Conference, she said, “Laughable, absolutely ridiculous. Some youth programme of the DMK happens in Salem and the allegation is we are trying to distract the whole world from Ayodhya, what a comparison, please. That is not worth responding to, just dump that. The other that they have not issued any orders, Oh really, I am so happy to hear that Navika, so through you let me then challenge the minister and also the government of Tamil Nadu, if indeed there is no order, stopping people from viewing the hon’ble PM and singing bhajans or reciting Ramayan, let them say so openly. Let them tell in temples, that people can do their bhajans, they can put a screen. You take the money from the Hindu devotees, you control the Hindu temples and that is not even right. You take the monies from the contribution made from the bhakta, please establish a television screen in the temple and openly say, we wouldn’t have any objection and we would welcome Hindu devotees to go to the temple and watch the programme which Hon’ble PM is doing. You are welcome to watch the live telecast. Say that positively. Don’t hide behind bushes and say no I have not issued anything, we have not stopped anybody, we don’t want any of that. Say openly. This is Aranilaya Thurai which means Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment for which there is an exclusive minister and as I understand that minister’s business is to help Hindus in performing their lifestyle easily, going and doing the worship in temples and facilitating everything in the temple. Let him issue a statement today, we have not stopped anyone. On the contrary, I will facilitate, because I am the minister of the HR&CE and therefore let the Hindu bhakts go to the temple, and watch the Hon’ble PM participate in the Pran Prathishtha. So no negative statements, let them give a positive one. Invite Hindu templegoers to see what is happening in Ayodhya tomorrow. That would be a meaningful role rather than a minister who is supposed to take care of the interests of the Hindus to stop them from doing their worship and then later on come about and say where is it, I have not stopped it, you put all the police everywhere”

On 22 January 2024, Niramala Sitharaman posted on her X handle about the denial of permission to screen the proceedings on an LED setup. She wrote, “The repression saga in TN continues: a small village (not more than 200 houses) where people wanted to celebrate #AyodhyaRamMandir and watch PM Narendra Modi participate have been told that unless the District Collector gives permission they shall not install the hired LED screen. The DC is sitting on the matter. LED supplier is threatened. Village: Karunilam District: Chengalpattu. Another but a bigger village LED permission hanging fire: Singaperumal Koil District: Chengalpattu”

On 22 January 2024, the Kamakshi Amman temple in Kanchipuram where Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman was supposed to watch the proceedings of the Pran Prathishtha ceremony live is witnessing TN police entering the premises and removing the LED screens. 

Subscribe to our channels on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.