Tamil Nadu govt fact-check reports claiming ban on prayers for Lord Ram, telecast of Ayodhya Pran Pratishtha
The Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments Department has issued a clarification refuting reports of restrictions on temple activities during the Ayodhya Ram Mandir Pran Prathistha ceremony. Claims of a directive against special prayers and Annadanam had sparked outrage
FollowThe Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments Department has issued a clarification on reports which alleged that restrictions had been imposed on temple activities during the Ayodhya Ram Mandir Pran Prathistha ceremony. The department emphasized that false information had been spread, suggesting that a directive had been issued prohibiting special prayers and Annadanam (free food) offerings in Tamil Nadu temples on the day of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir Pran Prathistha.
These reports sparked public outrage and drew criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with BJP Tamil Nadu President Annamalai accusing the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government of interfering in temple practices. He questioned the government's authority to dictate temple activities and expressed concern over alleged restrictions on police-organized events related to the statue installation of Sri Ram.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also condemned the reported actions, claiming that the Tamil Nadu government had banned the live telecast of Ayodhya Ram Mandir programs and restricted puja, bhajan, prasadam, and Annadanam in HR&CE-managed temples dedicated to Shri Ram.
The BJP leaders cited a news report from the Tamil daily Dinamalar, which claimed that the Tamil Nadu government had issued an unofficial verbal directive to temples against conducting special prayers and Annadanam on the occasion of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir Pran Prathistha. The report alleged that temple administrators were warned verbally and that the police were actively preventing the live telecast of the ceremony on big screens in public places.
The HR&CE Department's clarification aims to dispel the misinformation surrounding the purported restrictions on temple activities during this significant event.
