A view of Tirupparankundram Mount on Subramaniaswamy Temple in Madurai on Tuesday. Photo: Ashok R / The Hindu
| Photo Credit: ASHOK R
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Madurai district administration and Madurai City Police have come under condemnation for their mishandling of the Tirupparankundram hillock issue which subsequently ‘led’ to communal tension.
Madurai MP, Su. Venkatesan, has flayed the district administration for making a vague statement that a row over rights to worship had led to controversy.
But, when the issue of rights of HR&CE Department and the Sikkander Dargah committee on the Tirupparankundram hillock had been settled several years back by more than one court, no such issue of rights had been raised by the HR&CE Department nor the local people and the Dargah committee now, the MP said. “Then who has raised the issue (now),” the MP said in a statement.
He charged that the row snowballing into a major controversy was only because of the approach of the district administration towards the issue.
“How did the (Madurai City) Police interfere in the issue over the worshiping practice of performing kandoori at the dargah,” he asked. Similarly, he wondered on what basis the Revenue Department had interfered in the issue.
He flayed the district administration as to how it did not know about the worshipping tradition which has been in practice for years.
Stating that the way the prohibitory order was implemented and the arguments of the Government pleader in the court could not be accepted, he wanted the State Government to clarify as to who should own the responsibility on the issue.
Socialist Democratic Party of India State president, Nellai Mubarak, blamed the State Government and its administration for creating an abnormal situation with regard to Tirupparankundram hillock issue.
The Government which has the responsibility to ensure the right to worship for the citizens, through its wrong approach on the Sikkander Dargah issue had paved way for the “hate politics” of Sangh Parivar, he accused.
Tirupparankundram Inspector of Police , who prevented a Muslim man from performing kandoori at the dargah, the Tirumangalam Revenue Divisional Officer, and Commissioner of Police, had turned an issue civil in nature into a law and order problem, he accused and sought action against them.
Though the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 had given clarity regarding the issue, by denying the right to worship for the Muslims, the State Government has failed to implement the Act, he charged.
He asked as to what action the police had taken for the “hate speech” made by the speakers who addressed the Hindu Munnani protest meeting at Palanganatham despite a clear order issued by the court.
Collector clarifies
Madurai Collector M. S. Sangeetha said that only after political and religious leaders from both sides attempted to go to Tirupparankundram, the issue started to cause some communal tension. “Only after this, the district administration intervened in order to ease the situation and maintain communal harmony,” she said.
The clarity on the kandoori practice by individuals at the dargah was proved to the district administration after a section of local Hindus admitted such a practice had persisted for long, during the second peace meeting, she added.
A senior police officer said that the Inspector of Police had to prevent those carrying goat to the dargah as already the HR&CE had complained about a digital board on performing kandoori atop the hillock.
Published – February 06, 2025 10:07 pm IST