Madurai Aadheenam harassed by Tamil Nadu police under pretext of inquiry, alleges BJP

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu BJP on Wednesday said the police department has petitioned the court to cancel the anticipatory bail granted to Madurai Aadheenam and alleged that the pontiff is being tormented under the guise of inquiry.

Referring to the police questioning the pontiff, Tamil Nadu BJP President Nainar Nagenthran wondered what issue the DMK regime wished diverting by focusing on Madurai Aadheenam even as the law and order situation "deteriorated" in the state.

On July 20, police questioned the Aadheenam on the math premises in Madurai and he was reportedly posed as many as 32 questions that stretched a little beyond an hour. In Tamil, the word Aadheenam refers to both a Saivaite math and its chief pontiff.

The pontiff had alleged an attempt to eliminate him as a car hit his vehicle while he was on his way to Chennai to take part in a Saiva Siddhanta event on May 2. Activists had demanded action against the pontiff alleging he made false claims that targeted people belonging to a particular religion. Subsequently, the police registered a case against him for spreading canards and the pontiff secured advance bail.

Nagenthran in a social media post said: "Or, does the DMK regime plans to garner the votes of some particular communities by causing agony to Hindu pontiffs by taking forward divisive politics? Or, does the DMK government attempt to block spiritual thought in Tamil Nadu by taking up authoritarianism." "Whatever may be the idea of the Dravidian model government, nationalists would come together to shatter it and the DMK government must realise this truth."

"The DMK government must give up the practice of insulting Hindu religious leaders and the court's time by filing such petitions in the court." Nagenthran urged the state government to immediately task the police department to withdraw its petition in court seeking cancellation of anticipatory bail granted to Madurai Aadheenam.

Former BJP state president K Annamalai said the police petitioning the High Court seeking cancellation of anticipatory bail granted to Madurai Aadheenam Srilasri Hari Hara Gnanasampanda Desika Swami is strongly condemnable.

The pontiff, who has been recuperating following hernia surgery, was 'harassed' for about an hour in the name of inquiry by police, and their claim that he did not co-operate during questioning has ulterior motive, he alleged.

Alleging deterioration of law and order situation across Tamil Nadu, the BJP leader said police is yet to arrest the offender who sexually assaulted a 10-year old child recently. Police have no time to question the "kidney thieving gang." The police department itself faces a situation of lack of security due to the DMK persons, he claimed.

"When this is the situation, the DMK regime is enacting drama to satisfy some in the name of secularism by coming up with flimsy reasons to target the pontiff."

Annamalai urged the police to give up causing "torment" to the Aadheenam who has just underwent a surgery. "I urge the DMK government to take back its petition seeking cancellation of the pontiff's anticipatory bail."