63 BJP functionaries held for trying to stop Mano Thangaraj from pulling temple cart

KANNIYAKUMARI: As many as 63 persons, including Nagercoil MLA MR Gandhi and BJP District President C Dharmaraj, were arrested on Saturday for trying to stop Minister T Mano Thangaraj from pulling the temple car at Kumarasamy temple at Velimalai near Thuckalay.

The minister was stopped when he was inaugurating the event in connection with the Vaikasi Visakam festival. Fisheries minister Anitha Radhakrishnan, and Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Joint Commissioner Gnanasekaran took part in the event.

"Hindu devotees from five villages in the area have been traditionally pulling the car during the festival. They had filed a petition with the district administration, HR&CE authorities and the police stating that persons who expressed views against Hinduism should not be allowed to pull the temple car. Christians including Minister Mano Thangaraj, and Muslims pulled the temple car without offering worship at the temple. We did not oppose Anitha Radhakrishnan to take part in the event," BJP District President C Dharmaraj told TNIE.

A large contingent of police officials led by Tirunelveli Range DIG Pravesh Kumar were deployed to oversee the temple car festival. Further, police personnel pulled the second temple car.  Hundreds of protesters were arrested at 11 locations including nagercoil, where BJP cadres and Hindu organisations staged protest against the arrest.