The Madras High Court, on Wednesday, February 12, questioned why the Bharat Hindu Munnani, a Hindutva outfit, had to conduct the rally highlighting the Thirupparankundram issue in a congested part of Chennai city. Justice GK Ilanthiraiyan, who heard the case, asked the petitioners to propose an alternative location to conduct the protest. Special public prosecutor (SPP) Hasan Mohamed Jinnah submitted before the court that there is an alleged attempt to disrupt communal harmony in Thirupparankundram, in view of which the state government refused permission for the rally.
Communal tensions have been simmering in Thirupparankundram since the past few weeks, where a hill houses both Tirupparankundram Subramaniyaswamy temple and the Sulthan Sikkandhar Avulia Dargah. The issue started on January 18, after the police stopped Muslims from carrying out animal sacrifice at the dargah for the annual temple festival. Soon the issue snowballed with BJP and right-wing outfits protesting to ‘save’ the hill.
Bharat Hindu Munnani filed a petition in the High Court seeking permission to conduct a rally carrying a vel (spear, considered to be the main weapon of Hindu deity Muruga) in Park Town of Chennai on February 18, over the Thirupparankundram issue. They said that the rally will begin at Egambareswarar Temple, go through Rasappa Street to Muthukumarasami Kovil Devasthanam and Thanga Salai. They approached the court after the government did not respond to their request.
The state government submitted in court that Thirupparankundram is a place where people of all religions have coexisted peacefully, and the rally was an attempt to cause disruption. The SPP also pointed out that the permission for the rally was sought in a high traffic zone. The court questioned this choice and asked the petitioners to choose an alternate location.