A public interest litigation petition has been filed in the Madras High Court Bench here seeking a direction to the Kanyakumari Collector and Superintendent of Police to restrain a Hindu Munnani cadre from immersing Lord Vinayagar idols in a river flowing through Thadikarankonam village.
The petition filed by a resident of Thadikarankonam, V. Manikandan, has been listed for hearing before a Division Bench comprising Justice P. Jyothimani and Justice M.M. Sundresh on Monday. The petitioner apprehended communal clashes if the idols were allowed to be immersed in the river.
According to an affidavit filed by him, 80 per cent of the people residing in his village were Christians. There were communal clashes in 2008 in the village leading to registration of criminal cases and counter cases between a section of Hindus and Christians.
Then, proceedings under Section 107 (Power conferred on an Executive Magistrate to intervene when he receives information about the likelihood of breach of peace or disturbance to public tranquillity) of the Code of Criminal Procedure were also initiated. But the proceedings lapsed due to expiry of time.
“Now, to the shock and surprise of the general public, a Hindu Munnani member has been issuing notices stating that all Vinayagar idols in Thovalai village have to be immersed in the Thadikarankonam river in the name of Vinayagar Chathurthi Visargana function,” the affidavit read.
“If they are permitted to immerse the idols in the river, there will be great chaos in the village,” the petitioner said.
