“It is the victory of people who believe in Dharma…”: Annamalai on SC order on “ban” in TN for Pran Pratishtha telecast

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], January 23 (ANI): Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai termed the Supreme Court order on the alleged ban in temples in the state for the public viewing of the live telecast of the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at Ayodhya Ram Temple as a victory to the people who believe in Dharma.

On a writ petition by the BJP, the Supreme Court on Thursday said in its order that police and the state authorities were not bound to act on any “oral orders” to ban the live telecast of Pran Pratishtha of Lord Ram at Ayodhya and the conduct of poojas, archanas and other programmes linked to the event on January 22.

“Supreme Court Judges have come very hard on the Tamil Nadu government by saying that it is your duty to regulate not to ban. It is a victory for the people of Tamil Nadu. It is the victory for all the people who believe in Dharma,” Annamalai told ANI.

“There is no ban anywhere, whatsoever for telecasting the Pran Pratishta, doing ‘annadaan’ and doing pooja in private temples… Since there is no written order, the government of Tamil Nadu cannot ban the live telecast and proceedings from Ayodhya. The SC added, that in case of further bans, enquiry will be carried out,” he added.

Annamalai slammed the DMK government in the state for “interfering in people’s religious faith.”

“People are very happy that the police which were using all the draconian measures from morning, are all pulling back now… We have never seen a government interfering in people’s religious faith like what DMK is doing now,” he said.

The Supreme Court on Monday questioned the Tamil Nadu government on its alleged oral order to ban live telecasts of the ‘Pran Prathishta’ of Ram Lalla at Ayodhya in temples across Tamil Nadu. The apex court said that the state government can’t ban such events on the grounds that Hindus are a “minority” in certain areas.

“This is a homogenous society… Do not prevent only on the ground that the A or B community is there,” a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta told counsel appearing for the Tamil Nadu government.

However, the Tamil Nadu government told the Supreme Court that there are no such restrictions and there is no ban on the live telecast, performance of poojas, archanas, annadhanasm, bhajans on the occasion of Pran Prathishta of Lord Ram at Ayodhya and the plea is politically motivated.

The bench posted the matter for hearing on January 29.