Madras HC stays construction of church close to a temple in Coimbatore, says bad intentions can't be ruled out
Total Views |
On June 17, the Madras High Court issued a stay order halting the construction of a church in Coimbatore, citing the possibility of malicious intent given its proposed location near a Hindu temple.
The court also placed on record the petitioner's observations regarding certain political developments, including the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker J C D Prabhakar's distribution of Bibles and his citation of biblical verses during his inaugural legislative address, as well as opposition leader Udhayanidhi Stalin's remarks calling for the annihilation of Sanatana Dharma, comments that the ruling party neither condemned nor opposed.
A division bench comprising Justice G R Swaminathan and Justice V Lakshminarayanan observed that Coimbatore has a history of communal tension, having witnessed bomb blasts and violent religious unrest. The bench noted that the proposed church would be situated in proximity to the existing Mariyamman Temple, and given that only a small number of Christian families reside in the area, the plan to build a large church nearby raises legitimate concerns about underlying motives.
The court also took note of the petitioner's claim that following the formation of the new government under Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, posters have surfaced in parts of Tamil Nadu advocating for the construction of churches in every village.
ALSO READ: 'Invite a clown expect a circus,' CJP's Vijeta Dahiya gets trolled for dancing 'Azadi' in 'intellectual' event, video viral
The interim order was issued in response to a petition filed by N Balasubramaniyam challenging the proposed church construction at Kalapatti, Coimbatore. The petitioner raised concerns about potential conversion activities at the site. While acknowledging India's secular and pluralist character and the state's obligation to protect religious rights, the court pointed out several complicating factors: the site appears to be recorded as a public road in revenue documents, it lies in uncomfortably proximity to an established temple, and the project faces considerable local opposition.
The court also placed on record the petitioner's observations regarding certain political developments, including the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker J C D Prabhakar's distribution of Bibles and his citation of biblical verses during his inaugural legislative address, as well as opposition leader Udhayanidhi Stalin's remarks calling for the annihilation of Sanatana Dharma, comments that the ruling party neither condemned nor opposed.