Lord Ram Pran Pratishtha: Permission being denied to install LED screens in TN temples, says Nirmala Sitharaman

Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi also claimed that there was an “all pervasive sense of invisible fear and apprehensions” on the faces of priests and staff of a temple that he visited in the morning.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said the “repression saga” in Tamil Nadu continues with the state government refusing permission to install LED screens to watch the live telecast of Pran Pratishtha of Lord Ram Temple in Ayodhya even in private-owned temples.

Governor R N Ravi also claimed that there was an “all pervasive sense of invisible fear and apprehensions” on the faces of priests and staff of a temple that he visited in the morning.

“A stark contrast to the festive environment in the rest of the country. While the entire country is celebrating the Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla, the temple premises here exude a sense of acute repression,” Ravi said about his visit to Sri Kodandaramaswami Temple in West Mambalam here.

In a series of tweets, Sitharaman alleged that LED screens were removed from the famous Sri Kamatchi Amman Temple in Kanchipuram from where she was to watch the proceedings live. “In a temple, privately held, worshippers watching @PMOIndia perform prana prathishta is a serious infringement on our right to worship. The DMK government in TN completely fails to protect citizens rights. Anti-Hindu DMK now bares its hatred for PM @narendramodi with police force and suppresses peoples aspirations,” she wrote on X.  

She also said permission is being denied by district collectors to install LED screens and added that in Kanchipuram district alone, 466 LED screens were arranged for live telecast of the event. “In more than 400 of those places the police has either confiscated the screens or deployed force to prevent the live telecast. LED suppliers are fleeing with fear. The Anti-Hindu DMK is hitting at small businesses,” she added.

The Finance Minister also alleged that annadhanam was prevented in a few temples near Chennai, while posting a picture of an order by Kanyakumari police preventing Thovalai Murugan Temple management from installing an LED screen for live telecast.

Her allegations came a day after Hindu, Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) minister P K Sekarbabu said: “The HR & CE department has not imposed any ban on devotees to organise special poojas, annadanam, or distribute prasadam in the name of Lord Ram.”

The BJP accuses the DMK of being “anti-Hindu”, a claim that is rejected outright by the Dravidian party which says it respects all religion.DMK youth wing secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin had last week the party’s opposition to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya was only on the grounds that it has been constructed after demolishing the Babri Masjid.

“Kalaignar (Karunanidhi) said the DMK was not against any faith. We don’t have a problem with the (Ram) temple being constructed there. We are not in agreement with the temple coming up at the place where Babri Masjid once stood. We opposed demolition of the masjid and we are clear we don’t want to mix politics and religion,” Udhayanidhi had said.