Manas Dasgupta
CHENNAI, Nov 6: Signifying straining of relations with yet one more ally within the NDA, the Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP on Friday went ahead with the month-long “Vel Yatra” to catch the Hindu votes forcing the AIADMK government in the state to detain its leaders for defying its ban order.
The state government had refused the party permission to take out the “yatra” in view of the prevailing COVID pandemic to discourage gathering of the crowd. The police on Friday evening arrested the state BJP chief L Murugan and several of the party workers for defying the ban.
On Thursday, the Tamil Nadu government had informed the Madras High Court that it would not allow the saffron party to hold the statewide yatra. The A-G had cited the pandemic situation and the government order issued against the gathering of the crowd to prevent the spread of infection as reasons for denying permission to the BJP. While the BJP was making big preparations for the planned rally, opposition parties had protested against it.
Murugan, with a Vel (spear) in his hand, proceeded towards Tiruttani this afternoon, where the one-month long yatra was scheduled to begin. The plan was to take the yatra to various Hindu temples in the state for one month ending on December 6.
Assuring action against the violators, Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar said the government had denied nod to its ally because of the threat of a second wave of infection in the state and had advised them to cancel the event in the interests of the people.
The BJP National secretary CT Ravi, senior leader H Raja, and other BJP functionaries, however, held discussions at Murugan’s residence on Friday morning and decided to proceed towards Tiruttani to begin in yatra defying the government’s orders.
While speaking to reporters, Murugan said he had the constitutional right to worship, and he will be heading to Tiruttani. “We have the permission from God and we do not need any other permission,” he had stated.
Raja, who was the former national secretary, threatened to hold a statewide agitation if they were stopped. He also questioned the government’s decision to deny permission for the Yatra but allow schools and colleges to reopen amid the pandemic.
At Nazarathpettai on the outskirts of the city, an altercation erupted after police officials stopped the BJP functionaries. The police permitted only five vehicles to proceed towards Tiruttani and asked the remaining workers to return to the city.
Meanwhile, close to 500 police officials were deployed at Tiruttani to monitor the law and order situation. Reports suggested that Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami had said the law would take its own course.
The month-long rally, visiting six abodes of Lord Muruga and modelled on the rath yatra, was scheduled to begin on Friday from Tiruttani temple, in north of Tamil Nadu, and culminate at Tiruchendur temple, in the southern part of the state. The Vel Yatra is seen as an attempt by BJP to consolidate Hindu votes in the state.
Lately, the BJP had been dumping most of its state allies and the last to come out of the NDA was the Shiromani Akali Dal after the central government refused to pay any heed to its demand for referring to a select committee of Parliament the three bills covering the farmers including the bill that the party believed would expose the poor farmers to the manipulation of the big traders in farm produces. The only still active BJP ally in the NDA with a share in the Narendra Modi cabinet is the Republican Party whose founder-chairman Ramdas Athwale is a minister.
