NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, JAN 21
The Tamil Nadu government has hit back at Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and state BJP unit chief K Annamalai’s claims that the state has prohibited the live telecast of Ayodhya Ram Mandir programmes scheduled for January 22.
— P.K. Sekar Babu (@PKSekarbabu) January 21, 2024
P Sekar Babu, Tamil Nadu Minister for Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments, dismissed these allegations and criticised Sitharaman and Annamalai for “purposefully propagating this erroneous information”.
#WATCH | “ஒன்றிய அமைச்சர் என்ன கடவுளா? என்ன ஆதாரத்துடன் இத்தகைய தகவலை பரப்புகிறார்?”
தமிழ்நாட்டில் உள்ள கோயில்களில், நாளை ராமர் பெயரில் பூஜை செய்ய தடை விதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது என பரப்பப்படும் வதந்திக்கு இந்து சமய அறநிலையத்துறை அமைச்சர் சேகர் பாபு மறுப்பு#SunNews |… pic.twitter.com/k3gvb1YNWb
— Sun News (@sunnewstamil) January 21, 2024
“The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department hasn’t imposed any limitations on devotees’ freedom to offer food, conduct poojas in the name of Shri Ram, or provide prasad in Tamil Nadu temples. It is unfortunate that people in office, like Union Finance Minister Mrs. Nirmala Sitharaman and others, are purposefully propagating this erroneous information,” Sekar Babu said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai on Sunday slammed the Tamil Nadu government and its ministers for saying that there was no ban on special puja to celebrate the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony. He shared screenshots of what instructions allegedly passed on by Additional DGP (Law and Order) to SPs, “instructing to obstruct the celebration of the Pran Pratishtha across TN”.
Conversation between an HR&CE Executive officer & a Devotee of Bhagwan Shri Ram.
The HR&CE EO mentions explicitly that they have received oral instructions not to allow any activity inside the Temple premises concerning Pran Pratishtha.
DMK HR&CE Minister has a lot to answer. pic.twitter.com/PzqTd1kKgf
— K.Annamalai (மோடியின் குடும்பம்) (@annamalai_k) January 21, 2024
“The DMK Government has ministers who are inefficient, corrupt, and a bunch of liars,” Annamalai said. “TN has become a draconian state under the DMK Government, and Thiru @mkstalin’s actions are synonymous with the actions of the Tyrant Joseph Stalin.”
The DMK Government has ministers who are inefficient, corrupt and a bunch of liars.
Below are the screenshots of instructions passed on by ADGP L&O to his SPs instructing to obstruct the celebration of the Pran Pratishtha across TN.
TN has become a draconian state under the… pic.twitter.com/lvvcszIWJI
— K.Annamalai (மோடியின் குடும்பம்) (@annamalai_k) January 21, 2024
The firebrand BJP leader challenged the Tamil Nadu govt to disapprove the screenshots. “File an FIR on me & I will submit the entire sequence of conversations to the court,” he said.
Earlier, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday claimed that the DMK-led government in Tamil Nadu has banned the live streaming of the consecration ceremony of Ayodhya Ram temple on January 22.
The BJP leader also alleged that no puja or bhajan is being allowed in the name of Shri Ram in temples managed by state’s Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department.
TN govt has banned watching live telecast of #AyodhaRamMandir programmes of 22 Jan 24. In TN there are over 200 temples for Shri Ram. In HR&CE managed temples no puja/bhajan/prasadam/annadanam in the name of Shri Ram is allowed. Police are stopping privately held temples also… pic.twitter.com/G3tNuO97xS
— Nirmala Sitharaman (Modi Ka Parivar) (@nsitharaman) January 21, 2024
“In TN, there are over 200 temples for Shri Ram. In HR&CE managed temples no puja/bhajan/prasadam/annadanam in the name of Shri Ram is allowed. Police are stopping privately held temples also from organising events. They are threatening organisers that they will rip off pandals. Strongly condemn this anti-Hindu, hateful action,” Sitharaman wrote on X, tagging a local newspaper report.
In a following post, the minister said people are being threatened for organising bhajans while cable TV operators have been told that there is a likely power outage during the live telecast.
“Heart-breaking scenes in several parts of TN. People are threatened for organising bhajans, feeding the poor, celebrating with sweets even as we wish to watch Hon. PM Narendra Modi participate in Ayodhya. Cable TV operators are told that there is a likely power-shut down during the live telecast. This is I.N.D.I Alliance partner DMK’s anti-Hindu efforts,” she said.
Sitharaman further alleged that the state government was creating a false and fake narrative by citing law and order issues to justify the live telecast ban.
TN govt is unofficially claiming law and order issues to justify the live telecast ban. False and fake narrative! There was no L&O issues on the day of #Ayodhya verdict. Not even the day when PM @narendramodi laid the foundation, in any part of the country. The groundswell and…
— Nirmala Sitharaman (Modi Ka Parivar) (@nsitharaman) January 21, 2024
“False and fake narrative! There was no L&O issues on the day of Ayodhya verdict. Not even the day when PM Narendra Modi laid the foundation, in any part of the country. The groundswell and the voluntary participation of people to celebrate Shri Ram in TN has rattled the anti-Hindu DMK,” she said.
