The Tamil Nadu Director General of Police on January 29 told the Supreme Court that a deliberate attempt was made to portray the State Government as “anti-Hindu”.
The top police officer was responding to a petition filed by Chennai resident Vinoj Pannerselvam, represented by senior advocate Dama Seshadiri Naidu and advocate G. Balaji, alleging that an “oral” order was issued by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to ban the live telecast and conduct of religious events in connection with the inauguration of the Ayodhya temple on January 22.
In a brief hearing on January 29, a Bench headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna gave the State of Tamil Nadu 15 days to separately file a counter-affidavit. When Mr. Naidu requested permission to file a rejoinder to the State’s counter-affidavit, Justice Khanna said the “event (pran pratishta) is already over... do not push it further”.
Tamil Nadu Additional Advocate General Amit Anand Tiwari submitted that the case was already pending in the Madras High Court and the petitioner should approach it.
Allegations are totally baseless and false, says DGP
In his separate counter-affidavit, Tamil Nadu Director General of Police Shankar Jiwal informed the Supreme Court that live telecasts of the temple ceremony, bhajans, annadhanams, processions, poojas, etc., were held across the State without any interference from the Police or authorities. Mr. Jiwal said a total of 252 events, both indoor and outdoor, were held in connection with the pran pratishta event held in Tamil Nadu.
He said the petitioner was under the influence of an “illusion and false interpretation of reality”.
“The allegations that the Chief Minister had orally instructed not to allow any ceremony or function including the annadhanam, organising bhajans about Prabhu Ram, on the auspicious occasion of January 22, the day of pran pratishta of Ram Janmabhoomi, are totally baseless and false,” the DGP said in his response. His claims about a “non-existent” oral order were products of his imagination.
“Of the 12 paragraphs in the petition, nine were utilised to defame the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and criticise the actions of the State Government… The petitioner has portrayed the Tamil Nadu Government as a anti-Hindu government, which is totally false and condemnable,” the DGP submitted.
The response said a total of 288 petitions regarding the Ram temple event at Ayodhya for conduct of processions, bhajans, annadhanams, live streaming and other events were received by the government.
Initially, four of them were allowed. However, the Madras High Court directed the police to consider the petitions and regulate their conduct in order to ensure there was no hindrance to public movement.
Subsequently, the Police permitted a total of 248 events, taking the total to 252, which includes the earlier four allowed prior to the High Court orders. Events, including processions, were held in various parts of the State, including Chennai, Virudhunagar, Pudukottai, Thanjavur and Namakkal. Cases were registered in 13 instances for violations of police regulations.
“The Ram Mandir event was telecasted in many temples. Apart from live telecast, activities such as poojas and archanas were conducted in many temples across the State. No police officer interfered with the conduct of poojas or archanas in temples throughout the State,” the response noted.
