A public interest litigation petition has been filed in the Madras High Court seeking police protection for Dharmapuram Aadheenam in Mayiladuthurai on the day of Pattina Pravesam, a ritual of carrying the pontiff on a palanquin.
Raja Sivaprakasam, a daily wager from Villivakkam in Chennai, filed the PIL petition apprehending law and order problem during the event scheduled to be held on May 22. He also sought protection for other Mutts in the State.
The petitioner had further insisted upon forbearing the government from interfering with Hindu customs, rites, rituals and practices since the Mayiladuthurai Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) had on April 27, 2022 banned the Pattina Pravesam.
The ban order was withdrawn on May 8 after pontiffs of various mutts met Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. The petitioner said such meeting was not in conformity with the practice of only the elected visiting mutts to meet the pontiffs.
Claiming that the ban itself was imposed due to pressure from various fringe groups after Governor R.N. Ravi paid a visit to Dharmapuram Aadheenam recently, the litigant feared that those groups might create law and order problem during Pattina Pravesam event.
