The Hindu Munnani has called upon the DMK government to provide a comprehensive white paper outlining the current status of all idol smuggling cases in Tamil Nadu. This demand comes amidst growing concerns over the handling of these cases under the current administration.
In a strongly worded statement, Hindu Munnani president Kadeswara Subrmaniam criticised the DMK government’s approach towards idol smuggling cases. He highlighted the significant progress made during the previous AIADMK rule under the leadership of retired DGP Ponn Manickavel. Under his directives, the Idol Smuggling Wing successfully recovered many stolen idols, and several officers, including police officials, involved in these crimes were arrested.
However, Subrmaniam expressed disappointment over the apparent halt in actions against accused officials in the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR and CE) Department following the DMK’s assumption of power. He raised questions about the status of pending court cases and the lack of progress in recovering stolen idols.
The statement emphasized the need for transparency regarding the recovery efforts for stolen idols, particularly the over 2,000 rare idols from Tamil Nadu still abroad. Subrmaniam urged the government to clarify the steps taken by the HR and CE Department and the Idol Prevention Wing to retrieve these idols. He also questioned the handling of specific cases, such as the missing emerald lingam valued at thousands of crores and the investigation into the missing peacock idol from the Kapaleeswarar Temple in Chennai.
Quoting the saying, ‘Arasan andre kolvaan, Deivam nindru kollum’ (The king kills on that day, but the god waits for time to kill those who commit non-dharmic and unethical acts), Subrmaniam emphasised the importance of holding accountable those who destroy temples. He stressed that it is the responsibility of Hindu devotees to safeguard the sanctity of temples.
In light of these concerns, the Hindu Munnani urged the DMK government to release a detailed white paper on the actions taken so far. Subrmaniam warned that if the government fails to provide transparency on the matter, the Hindu Munnani will resort to democratic means of protest with the support of devotees.
