NATTUKOTAI Chettiar Temple violated the law when it proceeded with the annual Thaipusam silver chariot procession that had been prohibited by the Penang government, said Deputy Chief Minister II P. Ramasamy.

He said the temple committee was to meet today to discuss the matter but instead went ahead with the procession this morning because Human Resource Minister M. Saravannan had written the temple a support letter.

“I understand that the Chettiar temple, emboldened by the intervention of Saravanan, had put out their silver chariot for a limited run under the SOP. To date, the state government and the NSC have not given permission for the chariot procession in Penang. 

“I understand that what Chettiar temple is doing now is unacceptable. It they have defied the directive of the Penang state government or the NSC, the authorities must act firmly,” Ramasamy said in a statement today. 

He slammed the federal government for interfering in state affairs despite various bodies having opposed of the Thaipusam celebration’s in the state including a chariot procession.

“It was unbecoming of Saravanan to interfere in Penang state matters. The Chettiar temple committee has openly defied the Penang state, the Penang Hindu Endowments Board, the official organiser of Thaipusam, and the various government agencies that forbade the Thaipusam festival, including the chariot procession,” said Ramasamy. 

The Perai assemblyman also urged authorities to take stern action against the temple committee for defying the state government.

Ramasamy previously warned the federal government to bar the Batu Caves Thaipusam chariot procession at a time of epidemic.

He said the National Security Council should have stood by its previous decision to forbid the processions and events related to Thaipusam nationwide.

Ramasamy said it was not too late for the NSC to withdraw approval for the Sri Maha Mariamman Devasthanam temple to hold the processions on January 27 and 29.  Thaipusam falls on January 28.

He has also been on bad terms with the Nattukotai Chettiar Temple committee since 2016 when he objected to the state having two separate chariot processions on Thaipusam. – January 27, 2021.