In a swift move, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) approached the Supreme Court on Monday, seeking an urgent hearing against the Tamil Nadu government’s purported order prohibiting the live telecast of Lord Ram Lalla’s ‘pran-pratishtha’ ceremony in the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya. The reported ban extended to temples and other public places across the state, as per information from news agency PTI.
Scheduled for a 10:30 am hearing on the same day, the petition representing the BJP’s state unit secretary Vinoj P Selvam was filed by Advocate G Balaji. The plea argued that the DMK-led State Government had imposed a ban on the live telecast of the auspicious ‘Pran Pratishtha’ event at Ayodhya in all temples throughout Tamil Nadu.
The plea further contended that the government had also prohibited various religious activities such as poojas, Archana, Annadanam (poor feeding), and bhajans on this significant occasion. Describing this as an arbitrary exercise of power, the petition claimed that such actions violated the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, on Sunday, asserted that there were reports alleging a ban by the MK Stalin-led state government on the live streaming of the pran-pratishtha ceremony of Lord Ram Lalla in Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir. Sitharaman stated that over 200 temples dedicated to Lord Ram in Tamil Nadu were affected, with police even stopping privately held temples from organizing events.
The Tamil Nadu government, however, promptly denied these allegations, dismissing them as ‘false news with ulterior motives.’ The state strongly condemned the spreading of false information, characterizing it as an attempt to divert attention from the DMK Youth Conference in Salem. The state minister clarified that the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department had not imposed any limitations on devotees’ freedom to offer food, conduct poojas, or provide prasad in the name of Shri Ram in Tamil Nadu temples.
The ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony of Shri Ram Lalla at the Ayodhya Temple was scheduled for 12:30 pm on the same day. The historic ritual was expected to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, saints, and various distinguished guests. The controversy surrounding the alleged ban added a layer of tension and disagreement between the BJP and the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government, leading to a legal intervention seeking resolution from the Supreme Court.
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