DMK’s working president M.K. Stalin has strongly condemned the proposed ‘Rath Yatra’ around the State by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). He also came down hard on the Edapadi K. Palaniswami-led AIADMK Government for according permission to VHP to hold its ‘Rath Yatra’ to drum up support for construction of a temple for Lord Ram at the disputed site in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.

“I strongly express my condemnation to VHP’s proposed ‘Ram Rajya Yatra’ in the guise of getting people’s support for the proposed construction of Ram Mandir at Ayodhya; I also condemn in strong terms the AIADMK Govt.’s decision to accord permission to VHP to hold its State-wide yatra.  VHP’s tactic of taking advantage of a weak AIADMK Govt. to secure permission for its Yatra is an act which would disturb social harmony.

The Ram Jhanmabhoomi case is still sub-judice with the Supreme Court and at a time when a Constitution Bench headed by the Chief Justice of India is looking in to the case, it appears that the VHP is trying to pressurize the top Court in the country by holding a ‘Rath Yatra’ across the length and breadth of the country. I appeal to the State Govt. to stop the ‘Rath Yatra’ from entering the State; if need be, the Govt. shall also arrest those who are attempting to disturb communal harmony.

“I also appeal to the BJP-led Centre to abide by the Supreme Court’s verdict in this regard and to keep the Hindutva organizations in check so that they don’t end up disrupting communal harmony in any part of the country,” Stalin said thus on his Facebook account.