Friday, September 4, 2009

Ganesha procession at Muthupettai violated court order

Chennai, Sept. 4: A fact-finding committee of human rights activists have faulted the Tiruvarur district administration for not adhering to the verdict of the Madras High Court in the conduct of Vinayakar Chathurthi processions.
Madras High Court’s first bench on August 26 ordered the Tiruvarur district administration to advise the organizers of the Vinayakar Chathurthi procession to take out procession in an alternative route to avoid violence in the communally sensitive Muthupettai town.
A fact-finding team comprising of Prof.A.Marx of PUHR, G.Sugumaran of federation for people’s rights and others which visited Muthupettai on the day of the procession (Sept. 2) has found gross violation of the Madras High Court order.
“The administration allowing the procession along the Muslim-dominant Pattukottai road is against the spirit of the Madras High Court order. The administration allowing the procession through Muslim streets till 8 pm disturbed peace in the communally sensitive town,” said the team in its fact-finding report.
The team praised the district administration for having mobilized nearly 400 policemen during the procession unlike the previous years. “However, the 400 police could not ensure that the mob of processionists did not damage the property of Muslims along the route,” observed the team.
District BJP president Karuppu (a) Muruganandam, a known offender with several cases pending against him, was behind provoking the mob against the Muslims. “The police have allowed Muruganandam to make announcements from a police jeep during the procession,” the team was quoted as saying.
The team had Thai.Kandasamy, poet and lawyer, M.Sivagurunathan, activist and M.Ilango of Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam (PDK) as its members apart from Prof.A.Marx and G.Sugumaran.
This obvious case of violation of a court ruling by the district collectorate and the police would be brought to the attention of the Madras High Court, said the activists.

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