Complaint lodged against Tamil Nadu politician Kanimozhi for her remarks on Tirupati

As per a report in The News Minute, a complaint has been lodged against DMK MP Kanimozhi for her remarks against the Venkateswara Temple in Tirumala, Tirupati.

Karuna Sagar, a lawyer and a resident of Hyderabad

At the recent World Athiest Conference held in Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu, the DMK MP said that she was impressed by the way in which the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) went about their job but then raised questions against the devotees’ belief in the temple deity.

Kanimozhi criticised the saying that everyone is equal in front of God. She said that people who pay more money are entitled to special darshan whereas the common man is made to stand in long queues to get a darshan of the God. In regard to the same accusation, Kanimozhi quoted an instance when she was taken to the Tirupati temple, along with other MPs, by Vice President Venkaiah Naidu when they were a part of a Home Affairs Committee. The MP said, “Since we were all MPs, we were provided a special way to see the god. They say everyone is equal in front of God but that is a lie. If you give more money and buy a ticket you get special darshan. If not, you stand for 10 hours, 20 hours or two days. That is God.”

Kanimozhi also asked what’s the need for a security guard to protect the Hundi collection, when it is kept in front of the God.

While Kanimozhi’s speech was in accordance with the Dravidian ideology, the complainant claimed that she had no right to question the temple system and her remarks hurt the sentiments of the members of the Hindu Munani.

It has been learned that the Hyderabad police would take a legal opinion before proceeding further with the complaint.