Latest news with #LordMuruganDevoteesConference
India Today
4 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Case against Annamalai, 2 Hindu group leaders over speeches during Madurai meet
A criminal case was registered against former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai and two members of the Hindu Munnani group over their speeches at a recent Murugan devotees' conference.A lawyer, named Vanjinathan, claimed that several leaders made incendiary speeches during the Lord Murugan Devotees Conference, held on June 22. Based on this, a case against Annamalai, Hindu Munnani's state leader Kadeswara Subramaniam and Munnani functionary Selvakumar was registered for promoting enmity between groups and outraging religious complaint reportedly stated that speeches and resolutions at the event, attended by Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran and Andhra Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, incited communal hostility. The case was registered by Anna Nagar Police under sections 196 (1) (a), 299, 302 and 353 (1) (2) (B) of BNSS for speaking in manner hurting religious sentiments, causing enmity and causing distress to public to the complaint, the participants allegedly violated Madras High Court conditions at the is not the first time a case has been registered against Annamalai. In December 2024, a case was registered against Annamalai and over 900 BJP workers under charges of unlawful assembly for holding a 'Black Day' procession in Chennai without prior permission. Annamalai and other BJP workers were protesting the funeral procession of a Coimbatore blast April 2024, during the Lok Sabha elections, two cases were registered against Annamalai for violating the model code of conduct, because he allegedly campaigned beyond the permitted time.- Ends
Scroll.in
4 days ago
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Rush Hour: Bengaluru ACP's suspension over stampede quashed, Telangana blast toll rises to 37 & more
We're building a brand-new studio to bring you bold ground reports, sharp interviews, hard-hitting podcasts, explainers and more. Support Scroll's studio fund today. The Central Administrative Tribunal quashed a Karnataka government order suspending Bengaluru's Additional Commissioner of Police Vikash Kumar Vikash following the stampede outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4. The suspension order had been passed without sufficient grounds, it said. It appeared that Royal Challengers Bengaluru was 'responsible for the gathering' outside the stadium after it 'suddenly posted' about the event without seeking permission from the police, the tribunal said. Sufficient time should be given to the police to make arrangements for such large crowds, it added. The stampede took place at one of the gates of the stadium where fans had gathered to celebrate the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's victory in the Indian Premier League. Eleven persons were killed and more than 50 were injured in the incident. Read on. The Calcutta High Court asked the West Bengal government why candidates accused of wrongdoing in an alleged cash-for-jobs teacher recruitment scam were being allowed to apply again. The state's school education department had published a gazette notification on May 30 regarding the fresh appointment of assistant teachers in upper primary, secondary and higher secondary classes in government-run and government-aided schools. The court asked why there was 'no express bar to debar the tainted candidates from applying' in the notification. In April, the Supreme Court upheld the High Court's 2024 order terminating the appointment of about 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff by West Bengal's School Service Commission after observing that the recruitment process was 'vitiated by manipulation and fraud'. Read on. Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, the Bharatiya Janata Party's former Tamil Nadu chief K Annamalai and organisers of an event held in Madurai in June were booked for allegedly inciting communal hostility and violating Madras High Court restrictions. A complaint alleged that speeches and resolutions at the Lord Murugan Devotees Conference incited communal discord and violated conditions set by the High Court. The court had permitted the gathering while imposing limitations on political and religious commentary. Read on. The toll from a fire at a chemical factory blast near Hyderabad increased to 37. The explosion on Monday at Sigachi Industries' drying unit the Pashamylaram industrial area, triggered the fire, causing a portion of the building to collapse and trapping workers under the debris. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of the workers who died and Rs 10 lakh for those injured. A five-member committee has been appointed to review the accident.
Scroll.in
5 days ago
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Andhra deputy CM Pawan Kalyan, others booked for violating Madras HC terms at Murugan conference
Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, former chief of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Tamil Nadu unit K Annamalai and organisers of the Lord Murugan Devotees Conference held in Madurai in June were booked for allegedly inciting communal hostility and violating Madras High Court restrictions, The Indian Express reported on Tuesday. The complaint, filed on Monday at Chennai's E-3 Annanagar Police Station, alleged that speeches and resolutions at the spiritual event incited communal discord and violated conditions set by the Madras High Court. The court had permitted the gathering while imposing limitations on political and religious commentary. Hindutva organisation Hindu Munnani claimed that the conference, held on June 22, saw the participation of more than a lakh devotees, according to The Indian Express. Despite the court's restrictions, several speakers, including Kalyan, allegedly made veiled political comments during the event. The conference passed six resolutions. One reportedly urged Hindus to vote en bloc in the upcoming 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections and another demanded that the state's Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government stop 'treating temples as revenue sources'. The first information report also alleged that public remarks and actions at the venue were 'intended to provoke disharmony under the guise of spiritual assembly', The Indian Express reported. The police have registered the case under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita pertaining to promoting enmity between different groups, acts intended to outrage religious feelings and uttering words with the deliberate intention of wounding religious feelings, among other provisions. The others named in the first information report are Kadeshwara Subramaniam, president of Hindu Munnani and S Muthukumar, its state secretary. The first information report also mentions unidentified members of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh, BJP and allied Sangh Parivar groups. On June 23, an audio-visual presentation of the history of the Hindu Munnani played at the gathering, reportedly depicting Dravidian stalwarts Periyar EV Ramsamy, CN Annadurai, and M. Karunanidhi in poor light, had sparked a controversy, The Hindu reported.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Pawan Kalyan, Annamalai and others booked for violating court conditions at Lord Murugan conference in Madurai
A criminal case was registered late Monday against Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai, and key organisers of the Lord Murugan Devotees Conference held in Madurai on June 22. The case, filed at the E3 Annanagar Police Station, cites violations of the Madras High Court's restrictions on political and religious rhetoric during the high-profile spiritual event. According to the Madurai police, the complaint was filed by S Vanjinathan, an advocate and coordinator of the Madurai People's Federation for Communal Harmony. He alleged that the speeches and resolutions presented at the event incited communal hostility and violated conditions laid down by the Madras High Court, which had permitted the event with strict limits on religious and political messaging. The case — Crime No 497/2025 — was registered under sections 196(1)(a), 299, 302, and 353(1)(b)(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The named accused include Kadeshwara Subramaniam, president of the Hindu Munnani, S Muthukumar, its state secretary, Pawan Kalyan, Annamalai, and unidentified organising members of the RSS, BJP, Hindu Munnani, and allied Sangh Parivar groups. Police sources said the content of speeches and electronic communications during the event included language that 'promoted enmity between groups based on religion, race, and region' and 'outraged the religious feelings' of other communities. The FIR also alleges that public remarks and actions at the venue were 'intended to provoke disharmony under the guise of spiritual assembly.' Held amid much fanfare on a stage flanked by replicas of the six sacred abodes (Arupadai Veedu) of Lord Murugan, the event had seen a massive turnout, with Hindu Munnani claiming over one lakh devotees in attendance. Though the Madras High Court had explicitly barred political content at the conference, several speakers, including Pawan Kalyan, made political remarks wrapped in a spiritual narrative. Dressed in a green veshti traditionally worn by Murugan devotees, Pawan Kalyan took direct aim at what he termed 'fake secularists' and atheists. 'Secularism has become a shield for some to denigrate Hindu gods,' he said. 'I respect Christianity and Islam, but don't disrespect Hindu Dharma.' He called Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar an 'incarnation of Lord Murugan' and criticised political leaders for questioning why a Murugan conference was held in Tamil Nadu. The conference also passed six resolutions, including one urging Hindus to vote en bloc in the upcoming Assembly elections, and another demanding the DMK government stop 'treating temples as revenue sources.' Former BJP state chief Annamalai, also named in the FIR, declared that the conference's success showed that 'people have chosen 'Swami' over 'Nidhi' — a veiled jab at political rivals. Although the BJP's ally, AIADMK, officially remained silent on the event, four of its senior leaders, including R B Udhayakumar and Sellur K Raju, attended the conference.
Time of India
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Tamil Nadu BJP ally asks Hindus to unite ahead of state polls
Hindu Munnani , a right-wing outfit aligned with the BJP, on Sunday urged voters to assert the power of the Hindu vote bank in the upcoming Tamil Nadu assembly elections , scheduled for April next year. Speaking at the Lord Murugan Devotees Conference, the group passed a resolution calling for Hindu unity and the protection of Hindu rights and temples. Another resolution at the conference, which was attended by Andhra Pradesh deputy CM Pawan Kalyan and BJP office-bearers of Tamil Nadu, said the DMK government should "stop treating temples as revenue sources and use funds to benefit devotees". Pawan Kalyan slams 'secularists' Pawan Kalyan slammed 'secularists' and atheists for what he called selective outrage—targeting Hinduism while staying silent on other religions. Meanwhile, parties like the DMK, Congress, NTK, and MDMK criticised the BJP, accusing it of using the conference to exploit religion for political gain. "Secularism has become a convenient word for a lot of people. Secularism means there should not be any discrimination in the name of any religion, except Hinduism, Hindu gods and Hindu culture. The so-called secularists do not have the guts to speak about the religion which came from Arabia," Pawan Kalyan said, adding that for atheists, "it has become a habit to denigrate our gods. This has to change. If this does not change, it would be difficult to sustain Hindu dharma". Though BJP's ally AIADMK has chosen not to speak about the conference, four former ministers from the party - R B Udhayakumar, Sellur K Raju, Rajendhira Balaji and Kadambur Raju - participated in the event. Union minister L Murugan and senior BJP members H Raja, Tamilisai Soundararajan and Vanathi Srinivasan were also present. Live Events BJP-AIADMK to fight polls together: Previously, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the BJP and the AIADMK will contest the next year's Tamil Nadu assembly polls together. The BJP will fight under the leadership of AIADMK chief Edappadi Palaniswami, Shah said. "AIADMK and BJP leaders have decided that AIADMK, BJP and all the alliance parties will contest the upcoming vidhan sabha elections in Tamil Nadu together as the NDA," Shah said at a press conference in Chennai, in the presence of outgoing BJP TN chief K Annamalai and Palaniswami. The BJP leader, however, clarified that no conditions have been set for the alliance between the two parties, while adding that the alliance would defeat the MK Stalin-led DMK and form the government with full majority. Details like seat sharing and plan on ministry distribution within the alliance would be finalised later, he said.
