Kancheepuram (Tamil Nadu) [India], January 22 (ANI): Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday accused the “Hindu-hating” DMK of misusing the Tamil Nadu police to suppress the right of Ram devotees’ right to watch the live telecast of the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
“Tamil Nadu Police is being misused by the Government of Tamil Nadu. They are being misused by Hindu-hating DMK,” Sitharaman told reporters here.
The Union Minister earlier said that the police removed LED screens that were put up at several temples and places to watch the live telecast from Ayodhya temple of the Pran Pratishtha ceremony, conducted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Can any citizen be denied the right to watch the Prime Minister? The DMK is showing its personal hatred for the Prime Minister,” the Union Minister said.
She alleged that the ruling DMK government was “suppressing” the rights of people who want to worship Lord Ram.
“What right does the DMK have to infringe on my right to worship? It is infringing on my right to worship as a Hindu. It is infringing on my right to watch what is happening in Ayodhya. It is a clear violation of every Hindu’s right. That is what is happening here (Kamakshi Amman Temple), where we put LED screens and they were plucking them out,” Sitharaman said.
Earlier today, K Annamalai, Tamil Nadu BJP chief, claimed that the Madras High Court has ordered that there shall be no restrictions on telecasting the Pran Pratishtha ceremony live on private premises in the state.
The BJP earlier filed urgent writ petitions both in the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court, alleging that the DMK government in the state banned arranging public viewings of the live telecast of the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at the premises of temples and other places.
“The Hon Madras High Court has ordered that there shall be no restrictions on telecasting the Pran Pratishtha live on private premises,” Annamalai said in a post on X.
He said that the Supreme Court had ordered that the fundamental rights of individuals could not be restricted by the Tamil Nadu government.
“The Supreme Court has ordered that, based on oral orders, the fundamental rights of individuals cannot be restricted by the State govt of TN. Devotees of Bhagwan Shri Ram are free to telecast the consecration event live on an LED screen within any private premises and to give intimation only to HR&CE-administered temples. There is no ban on conducting Bhajans, offering special pooja or Annadhana,” he said in the post.
Annamalai watched the live telecast of the Ram Temple inauguration at the Gopalapuram Venugopala Swami Temple in Chennai.
The BJP’s plea in the Supreme Court said: “It is respectfully submitted that State Government run by DMK political party has banned live telecast of the auspicious occasion of ‘Pran Pratishtha’ of Lord Ram at Ayodhya in all the temples across the state of Tamil Nadu.” (ANI)
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