TN Hindu Munnani to go on hunger strike against ban on Vinayaga Chaturthi celebrations

Chennai

The Hindu Munnani will conduct a hunger protest onMonday at Valluvar Kottam against the DMK government’s ban on installing idolsat the roadside during the Vinayaga Chaturthi celebrations.

The BJP and the Hindu Munnani are up in arms after the DMKgovernment announced that idols would not be permitted to be installed atroadsides and that immersion of these idols in water bodies was not allowed.The government in its order on August 30 said that this was to adhere to the COVIDstandard protocol and prevent the spread of the pandemic.

This has not gone down well with the Hindu outfits, and theBJP Tamil Nadu state president, K Annamalai questioned the wisdom of thegovernment banning Vinayaga Chaturthi celebrations while allowing TASMAC liquorshops to function unabated.

The Hindu Munnani has announced that it would install onelakh idols at the residences and celebrate the Vinayaka Chaturthi festival. TheGovernment has said that the festival has to be confined to the residences ofthe people. The organisation has also called upon the people to worship atVinayagar temples and pray for good sense for the Tamil Nadu government toallow Vinayaka Chaturthi celebrations.

BJP state president K Annamalai has also said that the partywould conduct protests across the state against the DMK government’s decisionto ban installing idols at waysides. Hindu Munnani Tamil Nadu state presidentKadeswara C Subramaniam has said that the organisation would go ahead with theVinayaka Chaturthi celebrations on September 10. He also demanded that the DMKgovernment conduct talks with the Hindu Munnani leaders immediately.

Kadeswara C Subramaniam said, “The DMK government of TamilNadu is showing its true colours and is against the Hindu interests. The HinduMunnani is conducting a hunger protest against the draconian policies unleashedby the DMK government against Hindu festivals and we will strongly oppose thisacross Tamil Nadu.”

The BJP has also raised the issue in the Tamil Nadu Assemblywith party legislator MR Gandhi calling upon the government to permit VinayagaChaturthi celebrations across the state.

However, state Minister of Hindu Religious and CharitableEndowments Department PK Sekar Babu in his reply said that the state governmentwas only taking action on the basis of a circular issued by Union Homesecretary Ajay Bhalla directing all states to take suitable measures to preventcrowd control and to avoid the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

DMK propaganda secretary, T Sabapathy Mohan said, “The BJPand Hindu Munnani are trying to politicise the issue. The government’s ban isonly for the welfare of the people and to prevent the Covid pandemic spread andnothing else. People know the real issues and politically charged issues andthey will see through the plans of these organisations.”