Kanyakumari: Villagers perform Bharat Mata puja after local Hindu groups and RSS obtain collector’s order to reinstate the statue

Following the Collector’s order to reinstate the Bharat Mata statue at the Issaki Amman temple in its original position, elated villagers organised a ‘Bharat Mata Pujan’ programme and worshipped the statue of Bharat Mata with enthusiasm.

“A movement to salute soldiers & Bharat Mata in Kanyakumari where police retreated under patriotic villagers solidarity. Bharat Mata honour restored with common villagers help. Will we have Bharat Mata statues in every city? Why did we have to battle it out? Why was BharatMata Opposed?” Former MP Tarun Vijay tweeted.

https://twitter.com/Tarunvijay/status/1264836723525079047?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

A controversy had erupted after a Christian missionary organisation Christians of the Church of South India (CSI), filed an objection over the statue of Bharat Mata with Kanyakumari police claiming that the statue was hurting their “religious sentiments”. After their complaint, the Kanyakumari Police had covered the statue, causing outrage amongst the villagers.

The incident sparked off protests as members of Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), Hindu Munnani, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and other villagers staged demonstrations and later removed the cover. The protest was spearheaded by BJP leader Tarun Vijay and local RSS Swayamsevaks who later took to Twitter after the Collector’s passed an order to restore the statue of Bharat Mata to its former status.

A legal notice was issued to Kanyakumari police by advocate Ashutosh J Dubey for covering the Bharat Mata statue. Ashutosh had also questioned under which constitutional provision the statue of Bharat Mata was covered. Advocate Dubey also claimed that the police had arrested protesters who had uncovered the Bharat Mata statue after the police had concealed it.

https://twitter.com/iamashu123/status/1264178376585207814?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

The Bharat Mata statue was situated on the premises of Issaki Amman temple, which is reportedly 200 years old. The site is private property. The owner had installed a statue of Bharat Mata and had embellished it with a tri-colour saree.