थिरुप्परंकुड्रम में सांडनाकोडु उत्सव के दौरान तनाव और पुलिस-स्थानीय भिड़ंत

Amid tension and commotion, the flag hoisting ceremony for the Sandanakoodu festival of the Sikandar Badusha Auliya Dargah on Thirupparankundram Hill was carried out – local residents on the hill route engaged in heated arguments with the police. As the Thirupparankundram issue continues to remain controversial, in connection with the Sandanakoodu festival of the Sultan Sikandar Badusha Auliya Dargah, more than 200 police personnel under the leadership of four DSPs were deployed from yesterday morning onwards on the hill road near Palani Andavar Temple Street, Thirupparankundram. Following controversies over lighting the sacred lamp on the Deepa Thoon (lamp pillar) located on the hilltop of the Arulmigu Subramaniya Swamy Temple at Thirupparankundram—the first of the six abodes of Lord Murugan—the issue became a topic of discussion across the country. At present, cases related to this issue are pending before the High Court and the Supreme Court. Due to the continuously tense situation in the area, police have been engaged in round-the-clock security duties across the entire Thirupparankundram region for more than the past 20 days. Furthermore, the general public and devotees have been denied permission to go up the hill. In this situation, the Sandanakoodu Urs festival flag hoisting ceremony at the Sultan Sikandar Badusha Auliya Dargah on Thirupparankundram Hill was conducted after 8 p.m. last night. Earlier, Hindu organizations had alleged that the dargah administration planned to hoist a crescent flag on the Kallathi tree atop the hill and had been opposing it. They also demanded that no one should be allowed to go up the hill. However, during a peace committee meeting held a few days ago under the leadership of Thirumangalam Revenue Divisional Officer Sivajothi, permission was granted to proceed with the flag hoisting ceremony at the dargah on the hill. Local residents alleged that they were not invited to this peace meeting and questioned how the police could allow access to the hill by following only the Revenue Divisional Officer’s order while allegedly violating court orders. Since yesterday, they have been engaging in arguments with the police. In this context, Thirupparankundram police registered cases against 12 people, including women from the locality. Subsequently, residents again protested by holding oil lamps and arguing with the police. The police then arrested more than 20 people, both men and women, and detained them at a private hall in Thirunagar. Upon learning of this, senior BJP leader H. Raja personally visited the private hall in Thirunagar and met those who were detained. He instructed that they should be released by 6.30 p.m. and left. As the police did not take immediate action, more than 200 BJP members staged a road blockade protest in the Thirunagar area demanding the immediate release of those detained. They were arrested by the police. Subsequently, those who had earlier been detained in the private hall were released. Meanwhile, preparations for the Sandanakoodu flag hoisting ceremony were carried out at the Sikandar Badusha Auliya Dargah located on Big Chariot Street, Thirupparankundram. The flagstaff was placed on the Sandanakoodu vehicle and taken out in a procession through the main streets of Thirupparankundram. Due to the tense situation prevailing in the area, for the first time this year, the dargah side had prepared two flagstaffs in advance. At the same time the flagstaff procession set out, another pre-prepared flagstaff was taken from the dargah to the hill path under heavy police security led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Inigo Divyan. Muslims carried the crescent flag to the hilltop and hoisted it there. Witnessing this, local residents engaged in intense arguments with the police. On the other hand, the Sandanakoodu vehicle went in procession through Thirupparankundram and the flag was hoisted on the flagstaff in front of the Sikandar Badusha Auliya Dargah on Big Chariot Street. Following this, the Sandanakoodu vehicle was brought to the hill path, where Muslims celebrated by applying saffron powder to each other. In this situation, residents living along the hill route argued fiercely with the police for more than two hours, holding oil lamps and attempting to go up the hill. As the police stopped them, tension escalated once again in the area. Later, after requesting the police to allow them to place the lamp at the entrance of Palani Andavar Temple, the police granted permission to only one person. Accordingly, a woman alone placed an oil lamp at the Palani Andavar Temple entrance, lit it, and chanted “Vetri Vel Muruganukku Arogara.” Subsequently, local residents accused the police of acting in a biased manner and continued their arguments. As a result, the area once again turned tense. At present, more than 200 police personnel have been deployed there, and additional police vehicles have been brought in.