It is sometimes appropriate to shut down the temples if they begin to create law and order situations

• Observation by the Madras High Court in the matter of a dispute regarding puja between two groups
• Opposition to the Courts observation on the social media

Chennai – Justice Anand of the Madras High Court stated that in many cases, temples become a cause of law and order problems, and such temples should be closed down to restore peace and normalcy in the locality. “It is a paradox that closure of a temple actually leads to peace,” the Court said. This was said in a dispute over the right to puja between two groups. This observation is getting a lot of criticism on social media.

“Temples many times cause law and order problems” Madras HC observes while ordering closure of temple in Erode till ‘fit person’ is appointed in charge, details https://t.co/vm8PVyDLll

— OpIndia.com (@OpIndia_com) August 28, 2022

1. Justice Anand added that an environment must be created in temples that reduce an individual’s ego. Instead, the temples are becoming a centre of disputes created by the manifestation of people’s egos and they are reducing the importance of the Deity and its worship.

2. This matter is related to a family. The applicant of the plea requested the Court to give Police protection for his family to worship in the temple. Such a demand was being made as two groups had come to blows on this matter.

3. The Government advocate told the Court that after this fight between the two groups the Temple has been shut down till the situation normalises. To this, the Court said that in this case the management of the temple be given to a capable person, such that both the groups stop feeling a sense of superiority.

Criticism on social media

Is an observation ever made to shut down a mosque ?

There are numerous reactions to these observations of the Court on Social Media. A Twitter account ‘Total Woke’ said, ‘Has it ever been heard that a Muslim Judge saying, that the Mosques should be shut down as ‘every Friday there are incidents of stone-throwing, the loudspeakers are used for many hours, by going there people become fundamentalists, Conspiracy for rioting are hatched there, Roads are blocked, Young children are molested, and Women are not allowed entry to the mosques’.

Sometimes the Courts create a law and order situations

A Twitter account named ‘Explorer Pratss’ says, Courts are places of justice, but unfortunately, they become a cause for injustice, which gives rise to a law and order situation.