TIRUCHY: Tension prevailed for around three hours at the Chinnadharapuram Mariamman temple premises in Karur after a section of people gathered in large numbers and demanded the removal of a banner erected by the HR&CE Department, which announced that all devotees, including Dalits, are permitted to enter the temple and worship the deity.
The ensuing scuffle left four injured, who were admitted to the hospital, as the crowd forcibly removed the banner kept by the HR&CE Department.
The Chinnadharapuram Mariamman Temple, under the control of the HR&CE since 1973, with regular pujas with devotees from all castes participating.
However, from 2018, a dispute arose between the Dalits and Vanniyars over temple entry, and the latter group approached the court, with the case still in progress.
In this backdrop, a couple of days ago, the HR&CE officials displayed a banner stating that temple entry would be granted to everyone irrespective of caste.
The announcement also stated that legal action would be initiated against anyone preventing other community members from participating in temple rituals, which provoked anger among the Vanniyar community. They demanded the removal of the banner, but it was not removed.
On Thursday, several hundred people from the Vanniyar community gathered in front of the temple and staged a protest demanding that the banner be removed and asked the HR&CE to initiate any action only after the court verdict.
On information, the Aravakurichi police rushed to the spot and held talks with the agitating people, but they refused to disperse and got into an argument with the police.
Subsequently, the Aravakurichi Tahsildhar, Mahendran, along with the HR&CE officials, held talks with the people, but they demanded the removal of the banner.
Protesting members damaged the banner, forcing the cops to evict the crowd. The protesting members said that they would intensify the stir if the officials enforce the regulation before the court arrives at a verdict.
Meanwhile, the HR&CE assistant commissioner M Ramanikanthan said that the department has been acting as per the law. The temple controlled by HR&CE is common to everyone, and there cannot be any restrictions among devotees based on their communal background, he said.