CHENNAI: The BJP-DMK spat over the live telecast of Ayodhya Ram temple consecration in Tamil Nadu shrines boiled over on Monday with Governor R N Ravi and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman accusing the DMK government of continuing with its “saga of repression” and Chief Minister M K Stalin and HR&CE Minister PK Sekarbabu dubbing the charges as lies. “Genuine devotees in TN treat devotion as their personal choice and they hail Periyar’s principles while worshipping Perumal,” the CM said.
Hearing an urgent petition on Monday, the Supreme Court told Tamil Nadu authorities to act in accordance with the law and not based on any oral instructions. In a related development in the Madras High Court, the court said that devotion towards God is meant only for promoting peace and happiness.
Earlier in the day, Sitharaman charged that ‘the repression saga in Tamil Nadu continues’ referring to the alleged denial by the state government to live-telecast the consecration of the Ram temple. She also called the DMK government ‘anti-Hindu’. Governor Ravi, who visited the Kothandaramar temple, alleged that priests and staff of the temple were in “invisible fear” while the entire country celebrated the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ of Ram Lalla. The CM slammed the governor for the remark and the BJP for its ‘Ram temple politics.’ The head priest of Kothandaramar temple, too, soon clarified that there was no fear among the priests and that the governor was happy when he visited the temple.
Kamakshi temple sought permission only for bhajans, not streaming: CM
Nirmala Sitharaman and Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai witnessed the live-telecast of the Ayodhya consecration at the Kamakshi temple in Kancheepuram where an LED screen was earlier removed by authorities.
Hitting back at Nirmala Sitharaman and the governor, Stalin said the political adversaries of the DMK who are jittery over the success of the party’s youth wing conference in which lakhs took part have started spreading canards against the DMK government.
“Even as the conference was going on, minister PK Sekarbabu had issued a statement denying the rumours. It has become a habit for those holding high positions in the BJP to spread rumours through WhatsApp, social media, television channels, and newspapers,” Stalin said.
Referring to the charge of Nirmala Sitharaman that the HR&CE department had stopped live telecast of the event at Kamakshi temple, the CM said, “The organisers sought permission only for bhajans and said they won’t telecast live anything. The Union minister who had hidden this fact and levelled the charge was soon exposed. The Madras HC has condemned this false propaganda and said that law and order should not be allowed to deteriorate by such propaganda.”
The DMK chief also said, “Governor RN Ravi had posted a malicious post on X alleging that he felt an invisible fear among the priests and temple staff when he visited the Kothandaramar temple. The priests of the temple, however, have denied the governor’s claims.”
“In Tamil Nadu, devotees can offer worship in any temple. We can see thousands gather for Thaipoosam, Chithirai festival, Mahamaham festival, Arupathumoovar festival, and see people of other faiths extend cooperation to them. Tamil Nadu enjoys communal harmony. The governor tried to explore Ram temple politics in Kothandaramar temple. One wonders whether the governor has genuine devotion or hypocrisy,” Stalin said.
Meanwhile, HR and CE Minister PK Sekarbabu, at a press conference, reiterated that the department did not stop any kind of poojas related to the Ram temple consecration in Ayodhya.
“On Monday alone, consecration was performed in 20 temples, including Perumal temples. At the Venugopala Swamy temple near the residence of former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, a live telecast of Ram temple consecration was done. When there is an effort to politicise spirituality, then the department makes decisions according to the law,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Sitharaman had posted a series of tweets on her X handle with the headline “The repression saga in TN continues.”