Security up in temple

After Meenakshi Temple, security cover is now being extended to the famous Tirupparankundram Subramania Swamy Temple.

Superintendent of Police V. Balakrishnan, who visited the temple on Saturday, held discussions with the police and HR and CE officials.

The Tirupparankundram police have been instructed to issue identity cards to the shopkeepers in the vicinity of the temple and those without the photo ID cards would not be permitted entry. The temple staff have been requested to cooperate with the police by displaying their ID cards issued by the department for an easy identification.

The SP said that devotees should be educated on the heightened security. Only after screening them thoroughly, they should be permitted entry into the temple. The vehicle parking slot should also be kept under close surveillance.

The Tirupparankundram police were told to gather details of residents in the locality, near the temple, as random checks on their visitors would be done.

The SP said that the safety of the place of worship was important and hence sought the cooperation of visiting devotees during checks carried out by the police. Through the public address system, the police would alert people regarding strangers and not to go near any object that remained unclaimed.

The police had taken such a measure, after the Hyderabad twin blasts.

The central security agencies had recently ‘alerted’ the Tamil Nadu police to step up security for Meenakshi Temple.