The first bench of Chief Justice AP Sahi and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy dismissed the plea moved by V Anbazhagan, a journalist, on the basis that it was not the job of the court to protect the government against such threats and Tamil Nadu government would itself take care of such ‘open threat’.

Another plea moved by a software engineer K Ilanchelian which came before a division bench comprising Justice MM Sundresh and Justice R Hemalatha, was also dismissed on the same terms.

Both the pleas had sought to direct the state to take appropriate action against Hindu Munnani, by restraining it from conducting “Vinayaga Chathurthi by erecting idols in public places, conducting poojas through public gathering, holding any public procession for immersion of idols in sea/water bodies in violation of the prohibitory orders and lock-down norms promulgated by the Tamil Nadu government. It was claimed that in defiance of the prohibition, Hindu Munnani has already initiated the process of installing such idols by holding poojas in seven places.

Hindu Munnani president had claimed in a press release that his organisation will install 1.50 Lakh Vinayaga idols across the state defying the prohibitory orders announced by the government in view of the rampant spread of COVID-19.