During the hearing of a matter relating to the Thiruparankundram hill issue on Wednesday (12th February), the Madras High Court questioned the Hindu organisation Bharat Hindu Munnani over its petition seeking a direction to police to grant permission for staging a protest in Park Town of Chennai on February 18.
A bench of Justice GK Ilanthiraiyan reportedly questioned the Hindu outfit why it wanted to hold protest in a ‘congested part’ of the city. The court asked the petitioners to suggest an alternative location to stage the protest. The organisation was seeking permission to hold the protest rally carrying vel (spear) and chanting Bhakti songs starting from Egambareswarar Temple passing through Rasappa Street to Muthukumarasami Kovil Devasthanam and Thanga Salai.
The petition was filed by the vice-president of Hindu Bharat Munnani, S Yuvarah after the Tamil Nadu government refused to grant permission to hold the protest rally. Appearing for the Tamil Nadu government, Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Hasan Mohamed Jinnah opposed the petition calling it an attempt to disrupt peace and religious harmony.
Jinnah submitted that the state government would not allow anyone to disrupt peace and would ensure that religious sentiments and beliefs of either community are not harmed. The SPP argued that granting permission for the protest would disturb the communal harmony. Communal tensions have been flaring up over the Thiruparankundram hill which houses Thiruparankundram Subramaniyaswamy temple and the Sulthan Sikkandhar Avulia Dargah.
The SPP contended before the court that worship rights over the hill were settled before Independence by the courts. He said that a report was presentd before the court stating that “the practice of animal sacrifice and consumption of meat as form of worship exists as a tradition and is followed by the Muslim community”.
Background of theThiruparankundram hill issue
In December last year, a Muslim was detained by the police for attempting to take livestock on the hill for sacrifice at the Dargah. As a result, several people from the Muslim community protested against it. Another protest was held last month in January by Muslims demanded free access to the hill. Later on 18th January, a scuffle erupted between the police and members from Muslim community after the latter planned to sacrifice goats and chickens at the Dargah in a Sammanboj organised by the SDPI. Their plan was also resisted by Bharat Hindu Munnani. The police had allowed Muslims to carry cooked meat to the Dargah and consume it there. Sacrificing of animals was not allowed considering that the hill has the presence of ancient Jain caves and Lord Murugan temple.
The Muslims have been claiming the entire hill as the Waqf property and demanding the continuation of animal sacrifice calling it an old tradition. They even named the hill as ‘Sikandar Hills’.
A massive protest was organised by Bharat Hindu Mannani on 4th February at Madurai’s Palakkanatham over the ‘ownership’ issue of the hill.
