Supreme Court Grants BJP Plea For Live Telecast Of Ayodhya Ram Temple Ceremony In Tamil Nadu

In a significant development, the Supreme Court has acceded to the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) request to live telecast the consecration ceremony of the Ayodhya Ram Temple at temples and public places in Tamil Nadu. The move comes after the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government had earlier issued an order restricting the live telecast of the temple event. Urgently hearing the BJP's plea against this alleged order, the Supreme Court decided to allow the live telecast.

The petition, filed by Advocate G Balaji on behalf of Vinoj P Selvam, the secretary of the Tamil Nadu BJP, highlighted that the state government, led by the DMK, had prohibited the live telecast of the auspicious 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of Lord Ram in all temples across Tamil Nadu. The plea argued that this arbitrary exercise of power violated the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution, including the ban on poojas, Archana, Annadanam, and bhajans during this occasion.

Expressing concern over potential law and order issues, the petitioner sought immediate judicial intervention, emphasizing the need for a swift resolution to prevent any disturbances. The petition urged the court to list the writ petition for hearing on the same night in the interest of justice.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, on Sunday, accused the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government of instructing the State Police to prevent the live broadcast of the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at Ayodhya's Ram temple on January 22. Sitharaman claimed that the government was intimidating the police and imposing restrictions on the telecast of the ceremony.

In response, Tamil Nadu Minister of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments, PK Sekar Babu, denied Sitharaman's allegations, calling them totally false. He emphasized that the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department had not imposed any limitations on devotees' freedom to offer food, conduct poojas, or provide prasad in the name of Lord Ram in Tamil Nadu temples. Babu condemned the spread of false information by individuals in office, including Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.