A group of Hindu devotees, VHP functionaries and members among them, were restricted by Tamil Nadu police from taking out a procession to a temple. In the scuffle, a functionary’s janeu was allegedly cut off. Police allegedly refused to allow the procession, citing that schools and other places of worship were located on the route.
On February 4, a group of VHP functionaries and members planned to take out a rally from Amma Mandapam in Trichy to the Vayalur Murugan temple. They were stopped by the policemen gathered there to give protection. Police officials allegedly told them they could not bring the Hanuman flag to the procession. Shree TV which reported the incident said that police refused permission saying there are schools, and other places of worship located on their route and that the procession might disturb students and others.
The procession consisted of 21 Hindus and carried milk pots, Kavadi, Vel(spear), etc. VHP functionary Sethuraman said that they have been taking out this procession for 35 years and never did they face any opposition. “Do devotees going to other temples take your permission to go on pada yatra? Do we have to obtain permission even for pada yatra?”, they questioned the police.
After a while, police said that they were waiting for word from higher officials and kept the devotees waiting. Later they reportedly asked them to remove their shirts when Sethuraman’s janeu was allegedly cut off. The video of Sethuraman confronting police officials for the harassment and his janeu getting cut off has gone viral on social media. The DMK government has been harassing Hindu devotees in many ways since it came to power in 2021.
Recently, police officials seized the Sarpa Kavadi of devotees during their pada yatra to Tiruchendur Subramanya Swamy temple on the occasion of Thai Pusam. Police stopped another procession passing through a street in the Tirunelveli district, saying the street belonged to the local church. The church itself is on disputed land as during the renovation process, a temple structure and inscriptions were revealed.
HRCE, on the other hand, banned taking pictures, and videos of temple processions and deities in the Kanchipuram Varadaraja Perumal temple. To rush the consecration ceremony of Palani Dhandayuthapani temple HRCE violated Agama rules. Ashtabandana was not applied to the murti and even the 48 day Mandalabishekam was limited to a few days. It shouldn’t come as a surprise as DMK leaders take pride in demolishing temples.
