CHENNAI: A petition has been filed at the Madras High Court for orders to the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department to lift Covid-19 restrictions on devotees and ceremonies at the Varadharaja Perumal Temple in Kancheepuram.
A Division Bench of justices M Duraiswamy and J Sathya Narayana Prasad ordered notice to the government to respond to the petition, filed by one S Anantha Desikan of Kolapakkam in Chennai, by December 22.
The bench, however, declined to pass any interim order as sought by the petitioner, saying a decision can be taken after going through the counter-affidavit by the government.
The petitioner alleged that authorities aren’t allowing resumption of normal functioning of the temple and are preventing entry of devotees to the temple and performance of sacred ceremonies.
He accused the local authorities of the HR&CE department of refusing to lift the restrictions on the temple despite similar restrictions on other public places having been removed.
Claiming that influential individuals are given free access to the temple for participating in poojas, he alleged that this is a case of discrimination at a place of worship.