Earlier this week, the news of the DMK government demolishing a Shiva temple in Sriperumbudur, because it was built on government land was shared across news platforms.
Officials and police officers led by the Kanchipuram District Revenue officer, Paneer Selvam, went to a village called Killai in the Sriperumbudur Taluk of the Kanchipuram district and ordered the demolition of the Sivan Temple and the canteen that was allegedly situated on a government land.
Many questioned the double standards of the government asking if government can encroach on temple land what is wrong if it is vice-versa? Many were angered because the destruction happened overnight without proper procedure or information to stakeholders.
திருஞான சம்பந்தர் தபோவனம் – ஸ்ரீபெரும்புதூர் அருகில் உள்ள அழகிய கோவில்
@Sevakofmata & @RamananPr of @FreeTemples அங்கு சென்றடைந்தபோது மதியம் 1 மணியளவில் முழுமையாக இடிக்கப்பட்டது. சுற்றிலும் இடித்த குப்பைகள், ஒரு நாள் முன்பு அழகான சிலைகள். 63 நாயன்மார்கள், துர்க்கை அம்மன், pic.twitter.com/8Pw3OOo2dI— Sevak Sathya (@Sevakofmata) November 26, 2021
Now, the local residents, devotees of the temple and the priests of the temple have started a protest against the unfair and hasty demolition of the Shiva temple. In a video that was shared on Twitter, one of the priests is seen saying that a bond for the land that the temple was built on was issued to them by the district Tahsildar. “The District Revenue Office did not even take a minute to see these papers,” he says showing the bond.
The priest also says that the officer did not look at the papers because he would not be able to demolish it then and therefore calls the demolition a planned conspiracy. The temple that was has been there for 17 years now was demolished within 12 hours time.
The priest also says, “Even the Mughals who attacked temples only took the property of the temples. But, this government has demolished this temple to its roots, leaving us helpless. We want an apology from the government and this temple will come back even if it is demolished 108 times.”
அன்பு மிகுந்த இந்து சமுதாய. பெரியோர்கள் சிறப்பு கவணத்திற்கு திமுக அரசு ஆட்சிக்கு வந்ததில் இருந்து 143 கோவில்களை இடித்து தரைமட்டமாக்கியுள்ளது கிருத்துவ மதவெறி கூட்டத்துடன் கூட்டு சேர்ந்து இந்து சமுதாயத்துக்கு எதிராக துணிந்து செயல்பட்டு வருகிறது இதன் தொடர்ச்சியாக. pic.twitter.com/CfhZmB7sZF
— Sevak Sathya (@Sevakofmata) November 29, 2021
This alleged illegal demolition comes at a time where news about a Church that is encroaching canal land in Kilkattalai is also being shared. The Church, that was marked by IAS Officer Amudha, 4 years back, is still not demolished, and continues to bother the residents of Kilkattalai because of water clogging.
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