Madras High Court directs Tamil Nadu police to file case against seer if cognisable offence made out

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court today directed police to register a case if a cognisable offence was made out in a complaint filed by a fringe group against a seer in Tamil Nadu for making some controversial comments.

Justice M S Ramesh was passing orders on a plea filed by the Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam seeking registration of a criminal case against the seer for making the comments while condemning Tamil lyricist Vairamuthu for his 'objectionable' remarks about Goddess Andal.

The group's Namakkal district organiser, Vairavel, submitted that the recent remarks of Satagopa Ramanuja Jeeyar of Manavala Mamunigal Mutt at Srivilliputhur that he too knew "how to hurl soda bottles" amounted to instigating violence.

Addressing a meeting last month to condemn Vairamuthu's remarks, the seer had allegedly said: "The saints had kept their silence all these days. We will not keep mum anymore. We all know how to hurl soda bottles." He later said he had apologised to Goddess Andal for his remarks since it was not appropriate for a seer to say such things.

The issue pertains to to an article penned by the lyricist in a Tamil daily in which he allegedly made the remarks against Andal, the only woman among the 12 revered Vaishnavite saints hailed as 'Alwars' in Tamil.

She is also venerated as a goddess and a gifted poet in view of her classic Tamil work 'Thiruppavai,' a collection of 30 verses in praise of Lord Krishna.

The state witnessed protests against him following this.

Vairamuthu had later denied the charge against him.