CHENNAI: HR&CE minister PK Sekarbabu on Wednesday said the Chidambaram Nataraja temple was built by kings, not by dikshithars. As such, TN government did not cross its limits in seeking copies of accounts and land records of the temple and dikshithars were duty-bound to provide them.
The minister said this after inspecting a school run by the department in Poonamallee. “If dikshithars file a defamation case against the HR&CE department for seeking the details, we are ready to face it and will provide an appropriate explanation in court,” he said.
“Our department’s steps are measured. It has the right to flag wrongs wherever they are committed. Kings and our ancestors built the Chidambaram temple and the department has the right to seek an explanation for the irregularities in the administration and (copies of) the accounts of income, assets, jewellery and (other) valuables given by the kings. Dikshithars have built many buildings on the temple complex. The department did not violate any rule,” the minister added.
Responding to a question, he asserted that the land on which the temple sat was government and a team of officers had given a report to the government. As of now, the verification of the jewellery was underway.
Asked about the charge that the HR&CE department and its minister crossed their limits, he said: “We are ready to correct our mistakes if they are pointed out. But our chief minister would never allow us to cross our limits.”