Bring Chidambaram temple under HR

Puducherry, Mar 5 (UNI) The Federation for People's Rights here today urged the Tamil Nadu Government to bring the famous Lord Nataraja temple in Chidambaram under the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department to bring an end to the ''unlawful activites'' of the Deekshitars (hereditary priests) in the temple.

In a statement here, Federation Secretary G Sugumaran appealed to the Tamil Nadu Government to refer for CBI probe the ''unlawful activities'' inside the temple and initiate stringent action against the Deekshitars, who hinder rendering of Tamil hymns in the temple.

He also wanted the Tamil Nadu Government to withdraw the cases registered againt Tamil scholar Sivanadiyar Arumughasamy and human rights organisation volunteers, who had entered the temple to recite Tamil hymns.

Purifying the temple after Arumughasamy sung Tamil hymns was an act of denigration of all human beings, he said and pointed out that a case demanding CBI probe into the ''illegal activites'' of the Deekshitars inside the temple was pending before Madras High Court.

UNI PAB GD PJ DS1402