TIRUNELVELI
A group of Hindu Munnani cadre staged a dharna in front of the Collectorate here for a while on Monday in protest against the ban on devotees offering prayers in the temples during special occasions till August 9 in the wake of sharp rise in fresh COVID-19 cases.
Following instructions from the Tamil Nadu Government, the district administration, in the wake of sudden spike in the number fresh COVID-19 cases, announced on last Saturday that the devotees would not be allowed till August 9 to offer ‘Aadi pooram’ prayers in Sri Nellaiyappar – Gandhimathi Ambal Temple and ‘Aadi amaavaasya’ prayers in Sorimuthu Ayyanar Temple, Papanasa Swami Temple and along the Tamirabharani watercourse in memory of the ancestors.
The Hindu Munnani, however, accused the district administration of banning prayers in temples alone while allowing prayers in all churches and the mosques. The outfit, even as announcing that its cadre would stage a wait-in protest in front of the Collectorate until the order was lifted, invited through social media all the Hindus to gather in front of the Collectorate on Monday (August 2) for the agitation.
As around 50 protestors, led by V.P. Jayakumar, State vice-president, HM, came to the Collectorate on Monday morning, they sat in front of the main entrance of the Collectorate and raised slogans against the Tamil Nadu Government. After the police held talks with them, 5 of their representatives were allowed to submit the petition to Collector V. Vishnu.
Mr. Jayakumar, after submitting the petition, said the protest was withdrawn after the Collector assured them that there would be no ban on devotees offering prayers in smaller temples while the ban would continue in the Sri Nellaiyappar – Gandhimathi Ambal Temple, Sorimuthu Ayyanar Temple and Papanasa Swami Temple till August 9.
