Madras HC allows Vinayagar idol installation in Tirupur

CHENNAI: Holding that worship is a fundamental right, the Madras High Court has directed the Tirupur district police to grant permission for the installation of a Vinayagar idol at an identified spot in Yasin Babu Nagar.

The petition was filed by S Anbumani, a Tirupur district executive committee member of the Hindu Munnani, seeking a direction to the Tirupur District Superintendent of Police to consider his application for permission to install a Vinayagar idol and conduct a procession in Kattupalayam from September 14 to 17 as part of the Vinayagar Chathurthi celebrations.

When the case came up for hearing before Justice V Lakshminarayanan, the government counsel argued that the petitioner had initially sought permission only to use amplifiers. However, he had now sought permission to install a Vinayagar idol in Yasin Babu Nagar, an area where a large number of Muslims reside.

The government counsel further submitted that no Vinayagar idol had been installed in Yasin Babu Nagar in recent years and that two mosques were located in the area.

Subsequently, the petitioner and a police official visited the locality in person to identify a suitable place for installing the Vinayagar idol. Based on the inspection, a spot was identified on the 8th Cross Street in Yasin Babu Nagar, which was accepted by the petitioner.

Following this, Justice observed that worship is a fundamental right and directed the district police to grant permission for installing the idol at the identified location.