CHENNAI: Taking a dig at the ruling DMK government, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said the state police is misused by the ruling anti-Hindu DMK government.
Addressing reporters in Kancheepuram, the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, "Police is misused by the Hindu hating DMK to thwart public screening of the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the Lord Ram Lalla in Ayodhya and celebrations to mark the event. Can a citizen be denied watching their Prime Minister? DMK is showing its personal hatred for the Prime Minister. They are suppressing worshippers. What right does DMK have to infringe on my right to worship?"
Nirmala alleged that in a temple in Tamil Nadu, the local police had denied the permission to put up LED screens for the live telecast of the Pran Pratishtha event of Lord Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
"In the Thovalai Murugan temple, located in Nagercoil, permission is being denied to put up LED screens for live telecast. Order by the police was posted on the temple notice board. No watching Prime Minister Narendra Modi citing any law and order situation that might arise, " she noted.
However, after the top court's intervention, Nirmala Sitharaman witnessed the Sri Rama Keerthana recitation, Kamba Ramayana Upanyasam and Pancharathna Keerthana at Sri Kamakshi Amman temple in Kancheepuram ahead of the Ram Mandir Pran Prathistha ceremony being performed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ayodhya.
"Kancheepuram, like Ayodhya, is considered to be one of the seven 'Moksha Nagaris'. The connection between Kancheepuram and Ayodhya is also mentioned in the Brahmanda Purana and Garuda Purana, " added Sitharaman.
During her visit to the temple, Keerthanas of composers such as Thyagaraja, Sadasiva Brahmendra, Arunachala Kavi, Bhadrachala Ramadasu, Annamacharya and Purandara Dasa, as well as verses from the epic Silappathikaram were also rendered.
State BJP functionaries, KT Raghavan, SG Surya and others also witnessed the Sri Rama Keerthana recitation along with Nirmala Sitharaman.