CPI urges government to all-caste archagas

CHENNAI: Welcoming a favorable judgement by the Court on the issue of appointing members from all castes as archagas, CPI state secretary R Mutharasan urged the state government to implement the court injunction.

In his statement, Mutharasan said that officials of Sugavaneshwarar temple in Salem invited applications for appointing archagas in 2018. "A case against the move was filed alleging that qualifications mentioned in the notification do not adhere to aagamas. It was argued that getting a certificate from archagas of temples maintained by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department. Hearing the case, Justice Anand Venkatesh ordered that anyone can become archagas if they are trained in aagamas and prayer practices, " he said.

He added that an appeal was filed and the case was heard by a bench of justice Ganga Purwala and justice Aadhikesavar. "An interim stay was sought. But the bench ruled that it cannot pass any interim order against the earlier judgement and refused to stay the order. The state government should implement the judgement, " he urged.