AIADMK ministers attend yagam for rain gods’ mercy on TN

While the ruling AIADMK, represented by Ministers and other leaders, preferred hymns and Vedas to propitiate the rain gods during pujas held at important temples, its arch-rival DMK resorted to road blockades holding empty pots, blaming the State government for the present situation.

In Chennai, Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar took part in a yagam at Gangadeeswarar temple and planted saplings in the temple premises. Elsewhere in the State, Municipal Administration Minister S P Velumani took part in prayers at Patteeswaram temple in Coimbatore district, while his counterparts in Madurai also performed puja seeking the intervention of rain gods.

Law Minister C Ve Shanmugham blamed the DMK for politicising the prayers, and attacked senior DMK leader Duraimurugan for reportedly opposing taking water from Jolarpet to Chennai as announced by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Friday.

According to Cooperation Minister Sellur K Raju, who took part in the prayers in Madurai, the party leaders have asked all district functionaries to hold pujas. Due to this, he claimed, there were signs of rains.

Recently, the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department, which administers over 44,000 temples in the State, had issued a circular to officials directing them to conduct special pujas for rains, triggering widespread criticism from opposition parties.