CHENNAI: Madras High Court on Monday questioned whether the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department is empowered to interfere in the affairs of the Podhu Dikshitar Committee of Chidambaram Natarajar Temple in Cuddalore district.
Justice M Dhandapani raised the question while hearing a petition filed by one of the Dikshitars, Nadaraja Dikshitar, regarding his suspension from the committee.
The committee suspended Nadaraja Dikshitar in 2022 on the allegations of causing disturbances in the temple, following which he approached the HR&CE department. The joint commissioner of the department issued an order revoking the suspension but the committee did not accept it. Seeking orders for his reinstatement, he approached the court.
When the counsel for secretary of Podhu Dikshitar Committee, advocate Harishankar, pointed that the department lacked powers to interfere with the affairs of the committee because it represents their community, the judge asked the special government pleader for HR&CE NRR Arun Natarajan of the source of power for interfering with the Committee’s affair.
He replied that under section 56 of the HR&CE Act, the department is empowered to interfere. But Harishankar contended that the section is not applicable to the committee. However, the judge said the question on the powers of the department is left open as a similar matter is pending with a special division bench for temple-related cases.
The judge closed the petition filed by Nadaraja Dikshitar since the one year period of suspension had lapsed.