Sabke Ram: In a fervent response, the Tamil Nadu government vehemently rejected Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharamans accusations of banning the live telecast of the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony. The state authorities branded the claims as false, asserting that there were no restrictions on religious events and prasadam distribution.Tamil Nadu Governments CounterDismissing Sitharamans assertions, Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister, PK Sekar Babu, issued a statement labelling the allegations as baseless. Emphatically denying any ban on religious activities, Babu affirmed that devotees retain the freedom to perform rituals, conduct poojas in Lord Rams name, and distribute prasadam in temples across the state.Condemnation of MisinformationExpressing strong condemnation, Babu accused those, including Sitharaman, of spreading false information with the intention to divert attention from the DMK Youth Conference in Salem. He clarified that the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department had not imposed any limitations on religious practices, denouncing the misinformation campaign orchestrated by individuals in influential positions.Sitharamans Initial ClaimsSitharaman, citing reports from Tamil Nadu, initially alleged that the state government had forbidden events related to Lord Ram on the day of the Ram Temple consecration ceremony scheduled for January 22. She accused the government of obstructing live telecasts and prohibiting religious activities in HR&CE-managed temples, terming these actions as anti-Hindu.Accusations of Anti-Hindu StanceAccusing the state government of adopting an anti-Hindu stance, Sitharaman claimed that police were preventing privately organized temple events and threatening organizers with the removal of pandals. She lamented the purported power outage warnings during live telecasts and labeled these actions as efforts by the DMK to undermine Hindu sentiments.Rebuttal from Tamil Nadu BJP PresidentTamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai supported Sitharamans claims, asserting that the DMK-led government had taken an extreme anti-Sanathana Dharma stance. Annamalai criticized the denial of permissions by the HR&CE department and accused the TN Police department of citing frivolous reasons for rejecting requests to telecast the ceremony on large LED screens, prepared for the devotees benefit.As the verbal sparring intensifies, the conflicting narratives surrounding the alleged ban on Ram Temple live telecast reveal the deep-seated ideological divide, underscoring the significance of the upcoming ceremony in Ayodhya and its reverberations across political spectrums.
