BJP leader K. Annamalai, on January 7, strongly condemned the demolition of the Selva Muthukumarar Temple located in the Perumanallur–Ettiveerampalayam area of Tiruppur district, alleging that the action reflected “Hindu-hostile governance” by the DMK government. In the melee, Hindu Munnani state president Kadeswara Subramaniam sustained injuries, triggering tense moments at the site.
In a statement on his X, Annamalai said the Selva Muthukumarar Temple was an ancient shrine revered by local residents as a kuladeivam (clan/family deity) temple and carried long-standing religious and cultural significance.
He said the temple was traditionally associated with the well-known Alagumalai Murugan Temple in Tiruppur district and had been worshipped by generations of devotees.
திருப்பூர் மாவட்டம் பெருமாநல்லூர், ஈட்டிவீரம்பாளையம் பகுதியில் அமைந்துள்ள செல்வ முத்துக்குமரன் திருக்கோவில் அப்பகுதி மக்களின் குலதெய்வ வழிபாட்டிற்கான பழமையான கோவிலாகும். திருப்பூர் மாவட்டத்தில் உள்ள புகழ்பெற்ற அலகுமலை முருகன் கோவிலுடன் தொடர்புடைய கோவில் இது.
இந்த நிலையில்,… pic.twitter.com/zbKkfrqGAP
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) January 7, 2026
Annamalai alleged that the demolition was carried out a day after the Madras High Court directed that a lamp be lit on the deepa sthambam at the Tirupparankundram Subramaniya Swamy Temple hill, claiming that the state government acted out of “vindictiveness” following the court order. He said the government deployed a heavy police presence and “completely razed” the temple.
Terming the action of the Tamil Nadu government yet another “indecent and anti-Hindu measure”, Annamalai accused it of selectively targeting Hindu places of worship while failing to reclaim lands belonging to temples that were allegedly encroached upon by DMK functionaries.
He questioned whom the government was seeking to appease by repeatedly demolishing temples which, according to him, had served as places of worship for ordinary people for several generations.
Annamalai added that protests were held against the demolition and that Hindu Munnani state president Kadeswara Subramaniam sustained injuries, which he termed “police excess”. He said Subramaniam was hospitalised following the incident.
The BJP leader said, “More than 100 devotees who took part in the protest were taken into police custody.” He demanded their immediate release and called upon the state government to halt what he described as the misuse of power.
Annamalai further said the ruling party was systematically curtailing the worship rights of the people of Tamil Nadu and warned that public patience had its limits under what he described as “hollow secularism”.
In December 2025, speaking to media persons at the BJP headquarters in Chennai on December 5, the Tamil Nadu BJP he said, “DMK liked Sikandar Hill but didn’t oppose others eating chicken biryani there. They demolished 163 Hindu temples, often without court orders, while ignoring churches and mosques. Today, DMK and its allies perform theatrics in Parliament and on the roads over lighting a Hindu sacred lamp, despite court orders. BJP has got another chance to challenge Dravidian rule in Tamil Nadu. A lion is always a lion.”
Annamalai roars: “DMK liked Sikandar Hill but didn’t oppose others eating chicken biryani there. They demolished 163 Hindu temples, often without court orders, while ignoring churches and mosques. Today, DMK and allies perform theatrics in Parliament and on road on lighting hindu… pic.twitter.com/VKkwl4kPeq
— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) December 5, 2025
Annamalai questioned why the temple executive officer (EO) chose to appeal the court order, calling it “unwarranted and politically instigated”. “If anyone had grounds to file an appeal, it was the dargah authorities. Instead, the state machinery intervened to create confusion,” he alleged.
He further said that the BJP had submitted a detailed report to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the prevailing situation. “By not implementing the High Court verdict, the government is hurting Hindu sentiments,” he said.
Annamalai added, “The dargah did not appeal. Why did the temple officer challenge the court? Who instructed him?”
Elaborating further, he said, “The Thiruparankundram controversy is not new, with ownership-related disputes dating back to 1862. A 1923 ruling recognised the Nelli Thoppu area, the dargah and ascent steps as belonging to the Muslim community, while declaring the entire hill as temple property. Minister Regupathy has twisted facts with deliberate intent. As a minister who has taken an oath, he is duty-bound to uphold the truth, not manufacture convenient narratives.”
திருப்பரங்குன்றம் தீர்ப்பை கொடுக்க முடியாமல் குமரன் குன்றை திருப்பூரில் உடைத்த திமுக அரசு.
இது போன்ற பல ஹிந்துக்களின் அழுகையும் இந்து கடவுள்களும் உங்களை சும்மா விடாது.@arivalayam @BJP4TamilNadu pic.twitter.com/5f1qw3jBRv
— SudhamaniBJP (@sudhamanibjp) January 7, 2026
Raising questions over the temple demolition issue, Annamalai sought answers from the Stalin-led DMK government: (a) how many Hindu temples were demolished by the DMK government citing court encroachment orders, and why not even a single church or mosque was demolished in the last four years on the same grounds; (b) why the rules were applied only to Hindu temples. Using the hashtag #MinorityAppeasementPolitics, he highlighted what he termed double standards and demanded accountability from the government for its selective actions against Hindu places of worship.
In another tweet, Annamalai said: “The DMK Govt’s hostility towards Sanatan Dharma is no longer a matter of interpretation; it is a fact. The Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowment Department (which is supposed to serve Hindu devotees) appealed against a court order blocking the lighting of the sacred Karthigai Deepam atop Thiruparankundram Hill. This act strikes at the very heart of our people’s faith.”
The DMK Govt’s hostility toward Sanatan Dharma is no longer a matter of interpretation; it is a fact. The Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowment Department (which is supposed to serve Hindu devotees) appealed against a court order blocking the lighting of the sacred Karthigai… pic.twitter.com/EoXkSTt9Hi
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) December 3, 2025
He alleged that since the DMK came to power in 2021, nearly 161 Hindu temples had been demolished for various reasons. While the government claimed these actions were taken pursuant to court orders, Annamalai said the authorities did not grant the mandatory 30-day period to file appeals. He alleged that in the case of Hindu temples, demolition orders were executed at midnight, whereas officials refused to obey court orders to light the lamp at the Deepathoon. Calling it a double standard, he asked how many churches and mosques had been razed in the state pursuant to court orders so far, and demanded official figures.
Referring to another instance, Annamalai said that a few days ago, when Tambaram Corporation officials and police attempted to demolish an allegedly illegal church on Rajendra Prasad Road in Anna Nagar, they faced stiff opposition. A local resident had approached the court, stating that the church was constructed without approval.
The Madras High Court had ordered the structure to be brought down. The order, issued in March 2023, was not acted upon, leading to the filing of a contempt petition. The court subsequently directed that the structure be demolished by December 5, failing which the CMDA member secretary and the Commissioner of Tambaram Corporation were asked to appear before the court on January 8.
Following reports of the proposed demolition, a large number of Christians gathered at the site. Christian groups opposed the action against the allegedly illegal church in Chennai’s Chromepet, leading to protests and representations to government authorities. Officials eventually returned without executing the court order.
சென்னையில் அனுமதி இல்லாமல் கட்டப்பட்ட கிறிஸ்தவ சபையை இடிக்க நீதிமன்றம் உத்தரவு!
ஆக்கிரமிப்பாளர்களான சபையைச் சார்ந்தவர்கள் உத்தரவை செயல்படுத்த எதிர்ப்பு
அனைத்து அரசியல் கட்சிகளும் கிறிஸ்தவர்களின் அராஜகத்திற்கு மறைமுக ஆதரவு
இந்துக்களுக்கு துரோகம் செய்யும் திராவிட மாடல் pic.twitter.com/jBDSS7IfQ4
— Arjun Sampath (@imkarjunsampath) December 5, 2025
It is learnt that officials have been visiting the site and returning without executing the order for nearly two years. Annamalai alleged that no such lenience was shown in the case of Hindu temples, and that similar indulgence extended to illegal mosques as well. In contrast, he said, in the Thiruparankundram issue, the authorities wasted no time in pursuing appeals, issuing prohibitory orders, arresting and threatening devotees, and preventing them from lighting the lamp as per court orders, allegedly with the presence of CISF commandos.
Critics have pointed out that the Koyambedu mosque (Masjid-e-Hidaya) was ordered to be demolished by the Madras High Court in 2023, with the order upheld by the Supreme Court in early 2024, due to illegal construction on public land belonging to the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) without sanctioned plans. The structures were granted time until May 31, 2024, for removal. However, the authorities are yet to execute the order and instead issued directions to maintain status quo, reportedly following protests by Muslim groups and representations made to the Chief Minister.
