Temples are for people, not someone's personal property, says Tamil Nadu CM Stalin
Chennai (PTI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Sunday asserted temples are meant for the public and cannot be someone's personal property.
He said some people unable to stand the various welfare measures taken by the state Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department, including appointing 'archakas' (priests) from all castes, were trying to malign the DMK government with baseless allegations.
The Chief Minister presided over a mass marriage of 31 couples at a prominent city temple here and distributed 'seervarisai' -- the range of items given to married couples.
The event was held at the Arulmigu Maruntheeswarar Temple at Thiruvanmiyur here.
"Whether it is monarchy or democracy, temples are for people only. They are for the public only, irrespective of any kind of rule. Shrines are not the personal property of someone. This (HR&CE) department was created during the Justice Party rule only to change that situation (of temples being in individuals' control)," he said.
Recalling the DMK's contributions in this sector, he said more temples were consecrated in the party's past regimes headed by the late M Karunanidhi.
Among others, the present government has reclaimed Rs 3,700 crore worth of encroached temple lands while a woman has been appointed as priest, even as men from all castes have been appointed as 'archakas' in temple, fulfilling the wish of reformist leader 'Periyar' E V Ramasamy, the Chief Minister added.
Some forces opposed to unity were creating roadblocks but the government was facing them legally, Stalin said in an apparent reference to critics of such measures.
"Some people are unable to tolerate these. That is why they are indulging in mudslinging and spreading falsehoods. They don't have anything to do politics over, and therefore are using religion to make allegations against us. They don't have any proof," he added.
The mass marriage was held in line with an announcement made in the 2022-23 Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department grants in the state Assembly, an official release said. The HR&CE department manages temples in the state.
The Chief Minister presided over the marriage event and presented the 'seervarisai,' comprising among others, cot and utensils.
Across the state, 217 couples got married under the scheme on Sunday.
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Fact Check: Muslim man urinates on Kumbh Mela poster in Raebareli? No, the claim is false
Claim: The video shows people thrashing a Muslim man for urinating on a Kumbh Mela poster in Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh.
Fact: The claim is false. Raebareli's Bachhrawan Police Station SHO OP Tiwari confirmed to NewsMeter that the accused’s name is Vinod and he belongs to the Hindu community.
Hyderabad: In the context of the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh, a video has surfaced showing a group of people assaulting a man while using abusive language against him. Those sharing the video claim the man being assaulted is a Muslim man who was allegedly caught by the locals for urinating on photos of Maha Kumbh and Hindu deities displayed on a wall.
An X user, Baba Banaras, who has been caught several times indulging in misinformation, shared the video and wrote, “Rae Bareilly, UP: Abdul Urinates on Photos of Mahakumbh and Hindu Deities on Wall, Caught by Locals. (sic)” (Archive)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim is false. While the video is from Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh, our investigation revealed that the man accused of urinating belongs to the Hindu community.
We conducted a keyword search and found reports by Amar Ujala and India Daily published on January 11. Both reports mentioned the viral video which captured the assault.
According to these reports, the incident allegedly occurred on the evening of January 10, 2025, at the main intersection of Bachhrawan town in Raebareli. Locals caught the accused and assaulted him, while someone at the scene recorded the incident and shared the video on social media.
Neither report named the accused nor specified his community. However, mentioned that inspector OP Tiwari stated an investigation into the viral video is ongoing.
We also found another X user sharing the video with the same communal claim. However, the X handle of Raebareli police replying to the post clarified that the man being assaulted in the video is Vinod, a hawker from Kannauj district, who, in an intoxicated state, urinated near the wall, unaware of the presence of the Kumbh poster. The reply also clarified that the claim that Vinod belongs to a different community is false and baseless.
— Raebareli Police (@raebarelipolice) January 13, 2025
NewsMeter reached out to Bachhrawan SHO OP Tiwari, who refuted the claim that the accused belongs to the Muslim community. He clarified, “The accused’s name is Vinod, also known as Dinesh, son of Bharat, and he belongs to the Hindu community.”
Tiwari also shared a press release about the incident issued by the Bachhrawan Police Station. The statement confirmed that the accused, Vinod alias Dinesh, was arrested in accordance with the law and presented before the court.
Therefore, we conclude that the claim of a Muslim man urinating on a Kumbh Mela poster in Raebareli, UP, is false.
