Tamil Nadu: Hindus protest against newly setup beef stall near temple at Udaiyampalayam

Respecting the laws and religious beliefs is presumed to be an undeclared responsibility of citizens. However, when someone defies these norms even after being alerted, it raises serious questions about the violators and intentions. Such a case recently emerged in Ganpathy Udaiyampalayam, a village on the outskirts of Coimbatore North, where a couple insisted on operating a pushcart eatery selling beef near the Veeramathi Amman Temple, despite opposition from authorities and local Hindus. The temple belongs to people of eight villagers.

As per the media reports, Ravi and his wife Aabitha, an interfaith couple residents of Ambedkar Adi Dravidar Colony, recently opened the pushcart eatery to sell beef biryani near SS Kulam Middle School at Ganapathi Udaiyampalayam.

The area is known to have several stalls serving non-vegetarian dishes. However, the locals opposed the beef food stall citing its proximity to the temple and a nearby school as a violation of norms. There are Mariamman, Veeramathi Amman, and Karupparayan temples are in the village.  As per villagers, Ravi initially agreed to relocate the stall, but his wife Aabitha refused to do so.

Media reports say Abitha lodged a complaint with the Coimbatore Police Commissioner, alleging that local BJP leader Subramani and three others had threatened the couple on 25 December 2024, and again on 5 January 2025. She questioned why beef eatery was being singled out while other non-vegetarian foods like fish and chicken were sold in the same area.  Based on her complaint, the police registered a case against Subramani and others under Sections 351(2), 126(2), 192, and 196 of  BNS act .  He and others believed to be absconding.

Meanwhile, Subramani recorded the exchange and posted the video on social media, claiming that the village and CPM councillor V. Ramamoorthy too supported the decision to prohibit beef sales nearby temple.

As the issue flared up, local Hindus, Hindu Munnani members and the cadre of BJP also protested in Ganapathi Udaiyampalayam, a village on the outskirts of Coimbatore opposing beef biryani stall set up near the Veeramathi Amman Temple on 8th January.

Upon learning that the police named Subramani, nearly 1,000 locals staged a protest near the temple pressing their demand to remove the beef stall and lifting the case against Subramani.

Indu Makkal Katchi in a post in X social media platform said “How about starting a pork shop in Ambur near a Pali vassal.  She wants to set up a beef shop near the temple, and they call this freedom”.

Meanwhile, the village committee, reportedly on orders from the headman, evicted seven roadside eateries, including Aabitha and Ravi’s pushcart. This decision was criticized by CPM and CPI leaders, who petitioned the police commissioner to protect food rights and ensure the couple’s safety.

CPM leader Ramamoorthy said that the couple had initially informed him of their plans to open the stall but said the location they ultimately chose—closer to the temple—had caused opposition from public.

Village headman V Palanisami submitted a petition to Thudiyalur police seeking action against the couple for offending public sentiments.

Tamil Nadu BJP chief K. Annamalai told reporters at Coimbatore Airport that only a portion of the video was released and called for a thorough investigation into the matter.

Police senior officials visited the village to speak to the public. The public, in unison, expressed their agreement with Subramani’s statement to the couple and objected to their selling beef dishes. They demanded that the police drop the cases filed against Subramani and others. If this was not possible, they insisted on registering their complaint against the couple, accusing them of disrupting public peace and offending the beliefs of Hindus. Additionally, they called for cases to be filed against police personnel who allegedly broke into the premises of BJP members who had objected to the couple’s eatery. The police assured the villagers that their demands would be considered and urged them to withdraw their protest.

According to local sources, it was reported that Aabitha and her husband were attempting to escalate the issue into a Hindu-Muslim conflict with the support of certain elements opposed to the BJP, seeking to exploit the situation through the couple. It was also learnt that Subramani and others had approached Aabitha and Ravi, urging them either to relocate the stall or to stop selling beef biryani near the temple premises.

Coimbatore is a sensitive area, known for past communal clashes between Hindus and Muslims. Meanwhile, Ravi, who belongs to the Dalit community, is reportedly planning to file a PCR (Prevention of Atrocities) case against the villagers who led the protest.

Members of the public and BJP leaders questioned whether the couple would open a pork shop near a mosque or a biryani shop near a church. They alleged that the couple was deliberately creating a controversy and claimed that political and fundamentalist elements were backing them. The leaders remarked, “They think setting up a beef stall near a temple is a basic right. Tamil Nadu already has millions of mutton, biryani, and beef eateries catering to an ever-growing demand, despite repeated complaints of poor quality, contamination, and stale meat.”

In December, complaints were raised regarding the absence of beef during the early stages of this year’s food festival in Chennai. The event, organised by the Tamil Nadu Urban Livelihoods Mission (TNULM), sparked controversy after activists highlighted the unavailability of beef dishes. These dishes were reportedly introduced later in response to the complaints.

There is a concerned trend of promoting cow meat by certain fringe elements and fundamentalist groups