MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court directed the Virudhunagar district administration to ensure the car festival of Sri Andal Temple in Srivilliputtur is organised without the use of any communal identities on Wednesday.
A division bench of Justices R Subramanian and L Victoria Gowri was hearing a writ petition filed by M Santhanakumar of Srivilliputtur on Tuesday, seeking directions to ensure peaceful conduct of the festival on the last day of Aadi Utsavam on August 7 at Andal Nachiyar Temple in Srivilliputtur by restraining communal and political symbols, such as usage of t-shirts with pictures of communal or political slogans not related to the event.
Santhanakumar submitted that all communities have participated and contributed to the festival. However, in recent years, the organising group from specific communities carried flags of community-based political parties and wore t-shirts with its leaders’ pictures, and shouted slogans in and around the temple car, which were in no way connected to the event.
It seems like a political or communal propaganda festival. These people are ridiculing those from other communities, and prohibiting devotees from worshipping. They are also posting such content on social media, causing discomfort and a sense of abandonment in devotees.
If such practices are allowed to continue, it would spoil the festival and cause serious law and order issues, the petitioner added.