The Meri Maati Mera Desh (My Soil, My Country) initiative set to run from August 9 to August 31, was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 103rd edition of his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme to commemorate the Azadi Ki Amrit Mahotsav. This is a nationwide public participation initiative organized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and the Ministry of Culture. The initiative, titled ‘Mitti ko naman, veeron ka vandan’ (Salute the Soil, Salute the Heroes), aims to honour the nation’s achievements and the efforts of the ‘Veers’ who protect it. The initiative will feature five core components: the installation of statues and nameplates commemorating martyrs, paying tribute to these bravehearts, gathering soil for an Amrit Vatika, hoisting the national flag in every home, and taking the Panch Pran pledge.
To collect soil for this programme, members of the Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party led by the party’s State Secretary Vinoj P Selvam visited the Agastheeswarar Temple in Villivakkam, Chennai. However, they were met with opposition from the authorities of the Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department of the Tamil Nadu state government and the police. The cadre was not allowed to collect soil or even enter the temple to offer prayers to the deity.
The officials claimed that since they had come there with an agenda, such large groups of people would not be allowed to enter the temple and that only a few of them would be allowed to enter at a time. Despite repeated requests by Vinoj to give the instruction in writing or to allow them to offer prayers, the authorities refused.
Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party President K Annamalai lashed out at the ruling dispensation and the HR & CE department. He took to X to post,
“Our BJP TamilNadu State Secretary Thiru Vinoj P Selvam avl was stopped by TN Police & was heckled for collecting soil for the “My Soil My Country” programme announced by our Hon PM Thiru Narendra Modi avl. The HRCE department under the draconian DMK regime has made temple inaccessible to people & have imposed conditions beyond logic. The HRCE department should understand that the temples in TN are not the properties of Gopalapuram family.”
Our @BJP4TamilNadu State Secretary Thiru @VinojBJP avl was stopped by TN Police & was heckled for collecting soil for the “My Soil My Country” programme announced by our Hon PM Thiru @narendramodi avl.
The HRCE department under the draconian DMK regime has made temple… pic.twitter.com/X6pqEZdDaT
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) August 22, 2023
The officials also did not permit planting saplings at the temple to which Vinoj Selvam said that they would hand over the saplings to the authorities and they could plant them.
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