'Hindu-Hating DMK': Tamil Nadu Cops Remove Screen Where Sitharaman Had to Watch Ram Mandir Event

As the nation is awaiting for the grand “Pran Pratishtha” ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya, the LED screens installed at Kamakshi Amman Temple to watch the LIVE streaming of the temple inauguration were brought down on Monday morning. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was scheduled to watch the LIVE telecast of the Ram Mandir from Kamakshi Amman Temple.

The development came after Sitharaman accused the Tamil Nadu government of refusing permission to install LED screens to watch the LIVE telecast of Pran Pratishtha of Ayodhya Ram Temple.

As per the visuals shared by news agency ANI, the already set up LED screens can be seen being removed from the premises of Kamakshi Amman Temple.

BJP Claims Tamil Nadu Police Removed Screens

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party has accused the Tamil Nadu Police of removing the LED screens placed in a temple in the Kanchipuram district where Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was going to watch the LIVE telecast of Ram Lalla’s Pran Prathistha ceremony.

“This is a private temple in Kanchipuram where Indian Finance Minister is going to watch Live Ayodhya Ram Mandir Pran Pratishta!” SG Suryah, State Secretary of the Tamil Nadu unit of BJP, posted on X.

“But right now Tamil Nadu Police has entered the premises & is removing the LED screens. What a joke this is CM MK Stalin?” he added.

Sitharaman Claims Stalin Govt Banned ‘Live Telecast’

Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday slammed the Tamil Nadu government over reports of its decision to ban LIVE streaming of the much-awaited ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya on January 22. Calling DMK government’s action as “anti-Hindu”, Sitharaman claimed that no special pujas and serving free food in the name of Ram is allowed in HR&CE-managed temples in the state.

“TN government has banned watching the live telecast of Ayodhya Ram Mandir programmes of 22 Jan 24. In TN there are over 200 temples for Shri Ram. In HR&CE-managed temples, no puja/bhajan/prasadam/annadanam in the name of Shri Ram is allowed. Police are stopping privately held temples also from organising events. They are threatening organisers that they will rip off pandals. Strongly condemn this anti-Hindu, hateful action,” Sitharaman said in an X post.

The Union Minister further alleged that “people are threatened for organising bhajans, feeding the poor, celebrating the occasion with sweets” in the state. “Cable TV operators are told that there is a likely power down during the live telecast. This is INDI Alliance partner DMK’s anti-Hindu efforts,” she added.

Plea in SC Against TN Govt

Meanwhile, a plea was filed in the Supreme Court on Sunday against the Tamil Nadu government’s alleged order of banning the LIVE telecast of the “Pran Prathishta” of Lord Ram at Ayodhya in the temples across the state.

Hearing the plea, the top court on Monday issued notice to the Tamil Nadu government and others against the state’s oral order. However, the DMK-led Tamil Nadu informed the apex court that no restrictions or ban was imposed on the LIVE telecast and performance of poojas on the occasion of “Pran Prathishta” of Lord Ram at Ayodhya.