Bengaluru Blast Accused Invited to Temple: Protests Erupt in Kerala

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Hindu organisations in Kerala are on agitation mode as the 2008 Bengaluru serial bomb blast case prime accused Abdul Nassar Madani has been invited to a temple as the chief guest. Power broker Nandakumar, known for his close association with former Chief Minister and CPM leader VS Achuthanandan, is the chief organiser of the event and one of the temple trustees

Managing committee of a temple in Kochi has invited Abdul Nasar Madani to grace a function in connection with the consecration of the renovated temple. Thaikkattu Shiva temple in Vennala, Kochi, is in the eye of a storm for elevating Madani to the status of an esteemed guest in a temple function. The committee shot off a letter to the fundamentalist leader Madani who is incarcerated in Bangaluru jail in connection with the Bangaluru bomb blast.

The committee’s letter is doing the rounds in WhatsApp. It requests the extremist, who was jailed for 9 years in Tamil Nadu for his alleged involvement in the shocking Coimbatore bomb blast case of 1998 and was released in 2017 in a razor thin escape from the court, to make it convenient to grace the occasion! His reply to the temple committee thanks them for their kindness and asks for further details of the programme for including in the bail application; he would certainly attend the function provided he gets permission! 
Thaikkattu Shiva temple is an ancient one; old people say, it is more than 2000 years old. It belonged to a local Brahmin family; later on some sort of disputes came up regarding running of the temple; they were between the owner family and the local believers. After several litigations, now the temple is run by a trust consisting of some local influential people. One Nandakumar, a controversial person from Vennala, who is alleged to be a powerful power broker, is one among them. Kumar, even though hailing from an ordinary family rose to prominence in the area after turning rich in recent years. People call him a parvenu of Vennala. He is said to be a senior PR man of a major Indian corporate house. He was in controversy in recent years, thanks to his close association with the former Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan when he was in power and afterwards. When the CPM civil war between Pinarayi Vijayan and VS touched the peak few years back, Kumar was termed as a persona non grata by Pinaryi loyalists. They had alleged that he was controlling the strategies of VS. There were rumours and news about Kumar’s unholy nexus with VS’s son.

If the words of Kumar and his close associates are to be believed he had very good rapport with the union ministers and ministries during UPA-I and UPA II. The local people and his friends believe that he was very powerful until Modi regime took over. They say, the renovation of the temple solely depended on him; they mean that he had lot of resources to tap for the funds amounting to several crores. This correspondent understands that the invitation to Madani was extended by him on the letter headed stationery of the temple committee sans the knowledge of other committee members. And, no one takes up the matter with him. Some of them are afraid, if they object, they will be shown the door. Some others believe that it is all publicity stunts of Kumar. They think, Kumar knows that Madani would not come, but the newsflashes will raise the publicity of the temple. In another words, a ‘mere marketing strategy’. They believe that this man brought the funds to renovate the temple; they express their helplessness.

But, Madani has the last laugh. The invitation from the temple committee will help him in his legal matters. His lawyer can argue before the honourable court that Madani is a secular man; that is why a temple committee from Kerala invited him to participate in the consecration of a renovated ancient Hindu temple and, he did reply expressing his extreme pleasure ….. this being the case how he be blamed to be terrorist, anti-Hindu or anti-national extremist …….. !! Definitely it will weaken the prosecution.

But, Hindu organisations have already come out with stiff opposition. They would not let Madani enter the temple premises. Their opposition is not to his religion but to his anti-national and anti-Hindu postures. They refer to his old speeches against Hinduism, temple, festivals, etc. That means, a reckless act of a power broker has pushed the Hindu community to hot soup.

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