DMK men with footwear enter temple; trigger protest

VELLORE: The function to install district-level trustees at the Selliamman Temple in Vellore on Sunday triggered two controversies.

First, the DMK cadre entered the shrine wearing footwear sparking protests by Hindu Munnani and BJP workers and the other was failure to play Tamil Thaai Vaazhuthu (Tamil invocation) forcing Minister Duraimurugan to ‘educate’ temple officials on the importance of singing the Tamil

invocation song, which is a must in government functions.

Stating that he was making a request on this issue to his HR&CE colleague, Duraimurugan said temple officials should understand that HR&CE was part of the government and that was why the notice board carried the government logo.

The dais for the function at the temple, located on the banks of the Palar near the new bus stand was erected behind the sanctum sanctorum and despite rain, Ministers Duraimurugan and Sekarbabu as also MPs DM Kathir Anand and S Jagatrakshakan and MLAs P Karthikeyan and AP Nandakumar were present. The venue was packed with party men many of whom were seen wearing their footwear.

After a clip of the DMK men with footwear went viral on social media, Hindu Munnani and BJP workers staged a demonstration inside the temple premises raising slogans against both Ministers, who did not comment or prevent footwear being worn inside the premises. They also demanded that the HR&CE Department should quit the temple.

When they went to hand over a petition, the temple EO was not present and hence they staged a sit in for over two hours demanding that the official be removed from his post for the footwear lapse.

The shrine was earlier in the news after the Vellore Corporation sought temple land to extend the new bus stand which was objected to by devotees.

Duraimurugan said temple officials should understand that HR&CE was part of the govt and sing Tamil Thai Vazhthu