CHENNAI: For the third time in the last four days, BJP Tamil Nadu state president L Murugan was arrested on Monday for attempting to take out the Vetrivel Yatra. The Chengelpat police arrested him with his supporters and took them to a nearby marriage hall.
On Sunday, he was detained along with senior party leaders and 100 other party workers when they resumed the yatra from Thiruvotriyur Vadivudai Amman temple in North Chennai. On Friday, Murugan and other leaders were arrested in Tituttani.
He called the arrest was a “wrong decision” on the part of the AIADMK’ government. The AIADMK is the BJP’s ally.
Though the state government had made its intention clear that it would not permit the saffron party’s yatra amidst the pandemic, the BJP state unit decided to go ahead with it.
The BJP’s state president started the yatra on Friday stating that “Lord Murugan gave us permission” for it and that he was exercising “his constitutional rights” to visit a temple of his choice to offer prayers.
On the other hand, a section of the party functionaries and senior leaders opined that the state president should have waited for the Madras high court's order in connection with the special plea filed by the party challenging the TN government’s decision.
“We are not happy with how things are panning out. Everyone is tired of this arrest, detention and release. We are hoping that the senior leaders would wait for the court order,” said a senior party leader who was arrested along with Murugan on all the three days.