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ALLIES AT LOGGERHEADS OVER VEL YATRA IN TAMIL NADU

In the southern state of Tamil Nadu, two political allies – BJP and the ruling  AIADMK – are locked in a political cold war as the former gears up to hold a Vel Yatra despite the state government’s ban on the rally on grounds of COVID-19 restrictions placed on organisation of large gatherings.

The Tamil Nadu government had earlier criticized the state unit of BJP for their attempts to organize large-scale religious rallies during the Vinayagar Chathurthi this year.

During a time when Tamil Nadu is struggling to decrease its number of active COVID-19 cases, the state government’s concerns over the organization of rallies such as the Vel Yatra and the resultant ban are supported by many political observers.

They say the decision of BJP, which could not hold spiritual gatherings during the Vinayagar Chathurthi celebrations, to go ahead with the Vel Yatra clearly disrespects the ban by the Tamil Nadu government.

Earlier, the Palaniswami government had moved the Madras High Court against the Vel Yatra. It submitted before the judiciary that it could not allow the state BJP to hold the rally from Tiruttani to Tiruchendur, keeping in view the still high prevalence COVID-19 cases and the restrictions needed to control further spread of the disease.

The state government’s request for a ban on the rally was granted after it became one of the many public interest litigations submitted before the state high court over the issue.

The BJP, on the other hand, has argued that the central government guidelines have allowed the organization of rallies with social distancing guidelines in place and the state government does not have a valid reason to stop its campaign. The BJP has further argued that as the state government has allowed academic institutions and cinema multiplexes to open, its disallowing of the Vel Yatra did not make any sense.

Determined to hold the Vel Yatra, a month-long visit to the temples of Lord Kartika (or Murugan as he is known popularly in the south Indian states), BJP state chief L Murugan has gone ahead with the rally citing his constitutional right to hold it, much to the dismay of the state government.

L Murugan was earlier detained with the senior leaders of the state BJP for trying to start the Yatra on November 6 this year. It is surprising to many in the state that the BJP has gone ahead with its decision to hold the rally in spite of the ban and detainment of the leaders.

The Vel Yatra, an alleged attempt of the state BJP to consolidate Hindu votes by mixing politics with the spiritual identity of the Tamil Hindu community, has badly affected the daily life and traffic of the state and continues to threaten creation of more COVID-19 super spreaders in coming days.

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