Will abide by Madras High Court’s directions: HR&CE Minister Ramesh

CHENNAI/MADURAI: The State government would abide by the Madras High Court’s directions on the controversy over the omission of the Meenakshi Amman Temple trustees’ names from the invitation for the September 17 Kumbabishekam (consecration), Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister Ramesh said on Thursday, asserting that temples should not be made a platform for politics.

Talking to reporters at the Secretariat, State Minister Ramesh said the State government would follow the directions issued in connection with the consecration of the Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple and related administrative issues.

The comments came a day after the Madurai Bench of the High Court took exception to the omission of the trustees’ names from the invitation and directed that their names be included in the inscription to be installed after the ceremony.

“Temples are not places for doing politics,” Ramesh said, echoing the observation made by the High Court.

‘Mantras to be recited in Tamil and Sanskrit’

Meanwhile, the temple administration has submitted before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court that both Sanskrit and Tamil mantras would be recited during the upcoming consecration ceremony of the Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple, as was done during previous ceremonies.

The submission was made in response to a petition filed by Tamil Rajendran of Karur.

Rajendran sought a direction from the High Court to use Tamil Vedic mantras on par with Sanskrit mantras during the consecration ceremony.

Recording the submission, Justice C Saravanan dismissed the petition.