Allow us to implement court directive, say officials in Dindigul

A large posse of police was deployed near the District Collectorate here after womenfolk belonging to a Christian community assembled expressing their disappointment over the permission granted to serve annadhanam by organisers of a local temple as a part of the kumbabishekam held on Monday.

Senior officials from the revenue and police led by Collector S Saravanan and SP Pradeep held talks with the delegation from Panjampatti village in Athur Assembly constituency.

According to officials, they explained the measures taken by them to maintain law and order to implement the High Court bench directive and to ensure peace prevailed in the habitations.

The issue was that the Hindus had announced the annadhanam at a playground belonging to the government, which was objected to by the Christians. Petitions were submitted to officials and the police. Peace meetings were held, but they did not solve the issue amicably.

Following this, when the High Court Bench in Madurai was approached, it ordered the officials to allow the organisers to conduct the annadhanam in the playground as it belonged to the government.

Objecting to this, large group of women representing the Christians gathered near the Collectorate. In a bid to prevent any untoward incident, the main gate of the Collectorate was closed. Police ensured that there was no let up in the bandobust and surveillance was stepped up.

The Collector and the SP explained to the agitators that the officials had to implement the court direction and sought their cooperation. The officials also heard the grievances from both sides after which they dispersed peacefully.

The temple organisers expressed disappointment over the passive note of Athur MLA I Periasami, who is a senior minister in the DMK government. However, sources in the DMK claimed that the PMK was behind the whole issue and maintained that in a bid to cause difference of opinion between two communities, they had triggered the row.

The annadhanam was served and the festival ended on a peaceful note as per the HC directive, police said.