In a stinging allegation, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday claimed that the DMK-led government in Tamil Nadu has banned the live streaming of the consecration ceremony of Ayodhya Ram temple on January 22.
The BJP leader also alleged that no puja or bhajan is being allowed in the name of Shri Ram in temples managed by state's Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department.
“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 wrote on X, tagging a local newspaper report.
In a following post, the minister said people are being threatened for organising bhajans while cable TV operators have been told that there is a likely power outage during the live telecast.
“Heart-breaking scenes in several parts of TN. People are threatened for organising bhajans, feeding the poor, celebrating with sweets even as we wish to watch Hon. PM Narendra Modi participate in Ayodhya. Cable TV operators are told that there is a likely power-shut down during the live telecast. This is I.N.D.I Alliance partner DMK’s anti-Hindu efforts,” she said.
Sitharaman further alleged that the state government was creating a false and fake narrative by citing law and order issues to justify the live telecast ban.
“False and fake narrative! There was no L&O issues on the day of Ayodhya verdict. Not even the day when PM Narendra Modi laid the foundation, in any part of the country. The groundswell and the voluntary participation of people to celebrate Shri Ram in TN has rattled the anti-Hindu DMK,” she said.
The state government, however, denied the media report and said it would take legal action against the newspaper.
"The Hindu religious and Charitable Endowments department hasn't imposed any limitations of devotees' freedom to offer food, conduct poojas in the name of Shri Ram or provide prasad in Tamil Nadu temples," state minister P.K. Sekar Babu said in a post on X.
"It is unfortunate that people in office, like Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and others, are purposefully propagating this erraneous information,” he said.