CHENNAI: President of BJP’s Tami Nadu unit L Murugan on Friday said the party is taking out the Vetrivel Yatra as scheduled as Lord Murugan has granted “permission” for it.
BJP functionaries, led by national general secretary C T Ravi and Murugan proceeded from the latter’s residence in SAF village at Chennai’s Koyambedu to Tiruttani, the starting point of the month-long yatra. The party said yatra would conclude at Tiruchendur on December 6, after covering six abodes of Lord Murugan.
“I want to offer prayers to Lord Murugan and it is my basic (constitutional) right. So, I am going to Tiruttani,” Murugan told reporters, hinting that the denial of permission by the Tamil Nadu government for the yatra would not stop them.
The state government on Thursday informed the Madras high court that it would not grant permission for the yatra citing the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said the yatra would commence and continue as per schedule with the blessings and support of Lord Murugan.
BJP cadre tailed the party leaders in several vehicles, disturbing traffic along the Koyambedu stretch for a while. The BJP state unit, in its official Twitter handle, declared that the yatra had commenced.
Hindu ideologue and senior BJP leader H Raja ridiculed the AIADMK government for its decision to reopen the schools during the pandemic while denying permission for the yatra citing Covid-19. He said that the party would resort to protests if not permitted to proceed with the yatra.
Murugan has also taken to social media to register his displeasure over their ally’s stand. He tweeted, “BJPians are not violators of law. But we will not remain idle if something detrimental happens to Hindus, Hindu gods, Tamil gods, Tamil culture and Tamil language.”
Party state IT wing president C T R Nirmalkumar criticised the AIADMK government for not granting permission for the yatra and wondered, “whether our friend (thozhamai) is stabbing from behind?”
He asked, “How come the state government is giving permission for DMK’s meetings?”