CHENNAI: No God demands that people should fight over worshiping Him. If people cannot peacefully worship, then the temple would have to be locked, Madras High Court has held. The first bench of Chief Justice SK Kaul and Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana made the observation while dismissing a public interest writ petition recently.
The PIL, filed by E Saman, sought to quash the decision taken by Kanchipuram district administration on July 8 last year with regard to the Gangai Amman temple situated at Aaluthur colony in Tiruporur.
Through proceedings passed at a meeting, the administration locked and sealed the temple, leading to the present PIL.
Dismissing the petition, the judges noted with regret the divisiveness in society to the extent that there is fighting even over the issue of worshiping in temples. Following disturbance to peace on account of fight between two groups, the temple in question, which was constructed on meichal poromboke land, was locked.
Rejecting petitioner’s plea that the right to worship had been curtailed, the bench said authorities were right in locking the temple following disturbance to peace. The petition can hardly be termed as public interest litigation and accordingly, it is dismissed, the bench added.