Tamil Nadu govt issues verbal diktat to State temples restricting special pooja on Ram Mandir Pran Prathistha
Tamil Nadu, India 
20 January, 2024
Case Summary
On January 21st, 2024, the DMK-led-Tamil Nadu government issued a verbal diktat to State temples against doing special pooja on the occasion of the Ram Mandir Pran Prathistha. The DMK-led-Tamil Nadu government had reportedly given ‘unofficial verbal directive’ to temples against conducting special prayers and offering Annadanam (free food) on the occasion of Ram Mandir Pran Prathistha. News reports pointed out that the government verbally warned temple administrators against organising special programmes on behalf of the devotees. It read that the Tamil Nadu police are actively working to prevent the live telecast of the Ram Mandir Pran Prathistha on big screens in public places in the State. Criticising the move, BJP Tamil Nadu President Annamalai said, “It seems that the DMK government, which is engaged in anti-Hindu activities in the name of running a secular government, has banned special pujas and food offerings in Tamil Nadu temples.”
Why it is Hate Crime ?
In several cases, it is seen that the administration/state disallows a religious practice owing to prejudicial orders and concerns, targeted specifically against the Hindu community. Such restriction/prohibition would be considered documented as a hate crime because the orders are often a result of pressure by groups that harbour animosity towards Hinduism and Hindus. Often, the restriction by the authorities is driven by bias, hostility, or prejudice against the specific community being stopped from holding a religious practice, by pressure groups that harbour animosity towards Hindus, intrinsic to their faith. Since practices are intrinsic to the faith of the Hindus, such prejudicial restriction is considered a curtailing of the fundamental rights of the Hindu community. In several cases, for example, the authorities ban a Hindu religious practice due to pressure from groups opposed to the religion. In other instances, the prohibition is selectively enforced against one religious group (Hindus) while others are allowed to proceed. There are still other cases where the authorities preemptively restrict a religious practice by Hindus because those who hold animosity towards Hindus may get “provoked” leading to them being violent, thereby assuaging the sentiments of those who hold animosity towards Hindus by curtailing the religious rights of Hindus. Such acts and orders are prejudiced, indicating discriminatory motives owing to the capitulation to groups that harbour animosity towards Hindus and therefore, would be categorized as a religiously motivated hate crime since the original pressure leading to the order itself is a result of hatred/bias/prejudice/religious hate against Hindus. Here the Tamil Nadu state government issued a verbal diktat to State temples against doing special pooja on the occasion of the Ram Mandir Pran Prathistha. It ordered the state police to prevent the live telecast of the Ram Mandir Pran Prathistha on big screens in public places in the State. This act is an infringement on the religious rights of the Hindu community and stems out of animosity and prejudice towards the Hindu community, for their religious beliefs. Further, restricting the display of a religious symbol inside a temple can also be considered a prejudicial order denying the Hindu community its fundamental rights. Since the demand for the removal of the saffron flag and the order as a result of it both were prejudicial to the rights of Hindus and the original demand itself stemmed from animosity and prejudice against Hindu beliefs, this case is being categorised as a religiously motivated hate crime.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
State and Establishment
Perpetrators Range
N/A
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
