Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], January 23 (ANI): Tamil Nadu BJP State President Annamalai has condemned Indian Union Muslim League leader and Ramanathapuram MP Navas Kani for gathering a group and consuming non-vegetarian food on the Thirupparankundram Subramanya Swamy hill in Madurai, which is considered sacred by Hindus.

"It is very unfortunate that a sitting MP, who has taken an oath to follow the secular values of India's Constitution, has chosen to go to a place, that has been sacred for thousands of years for the Hindu community, and eat non-veg food there, trying to provoke outrage," Annamalai told reporters.

"This is the state of Tamil Nadu politics. Appeasement politics has taken hold of what is happening in the state. This MP should be dismissed because he has violated his oath," he added.

In a statement, Annamalai said that the sanctity of religious places must be preserved.

"The recent developments at the Thirupparankundram Subramanya Swamy Temple, the first of the six abodes of Lord Murugan, are undesirable," he said.

"In particular, the actions of Nawaz Kani, a Member of Parliament, are highly condemnable. His act of gathering a group and consuming non-vegetarian food on the Thirupparankundram Subramanya Swamy hill, which is considered sacred by Hindus, not only constitutes a grave mistake but also has the potential to incite communal tension," he added.

On 22 January 2025, the IUML MP visited the Sikandar Malai Dargah at the Thiruparankundram hill in Tamil Nadu. The Thiruparankundram hill is also home to the Subramaniya Swamy Temple, a revered holy site for the Hindu community in Tamil Nadu.

As per information by the Police that there is no ban on carrying cooked food, but a possible ban on transporting sheep and poultry on the hill, NavasKani and his group carried and consumed cooked non-vegetarian food on the hill.

However, about six months ago, a man from Rajapalayam, along with his family, visited the Sikandar Dargah and offered a goat as a sacrifice before worshipping at the shrine. At that time, the police intervened, stating that since the Murugan temple is located on the hill, such sacrificial practices should not be carried out, and they were asked to limit their activities to prayers only.

This sparked a controversy, and for the past week, Islamic organizations have been protesting, demanding that they be allowed to cook and serve non-vegetarian food as part of family feasts at the Dargah. As part of the protest, yesterday, Nawaz Kani, decided to visit the Sikandar Dargah.

When officials tried to stop them, they argued that there was no restriction on bringing and consuming non-vegetarian food. Consequently, non-vegetarian food was brought and consumed at the Dargah, which is located along the pathway leading to the Murugan temple.

This incident has sparked opposition from Hindu organizations, and there are accusations that the Ramanathapuram MP is attempting to incite communal tension. (ANI)