Bharatiya Janata Party functionaries, including its MLA M.R. Gandhi, were arrested when they raised slogans against the participation of Minister for Information Technology Mano Thangaraj in the car festival of Velimalai Murugan Temple at Kumarakoil near Thuckalay on Saturday.
The BJP has been opposing the participation of the Minister, belonging to a different faith, to pull the car in connection with Vaikasi Visakam.
A large posse of police had been deployed at the venue anticipating trouble. When Mr. Thangaraj and Minister for Fisheries Anitha R. Radhakrishnan pulled the rope of the car, members of Hindu outfits and BJP functionaries raised slogans against them.
The DMK cadre raised “Vetrivel Muruganukku Arogara” slogan to counter them.
In the tense situation, the police picked up the BJP functionaries, including the MLA.
A similar protest was witnessed at the festival held Bhagavathi Amman Temple in Kanniyakumari.
