10-25-2005, 09:11 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Saraswathi idol desecrated </b>
Staff Reporter
mailcenter.comcast.net/wm...194&sid=c0
<i>Crime Branch probe begins; dawn-to-dusk hartal in Kollam today</i>
KOLLAM: A Saraswathi idol at the entrance to Panmana Ashram was found desecrated on Sunday morning, leading to tension in the area.
An all-party meeting at the ashram called a dawn-to-dusk hartal in Kollam district on Monday in protest against the desecration. The Crime Branch of the Police Department is investigating the case. R. Krishnabhadran, Superintendent of Police, Crime Branch, Kollam, inspected the site. A strong police force has been deployed in the area. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy called up ashram head Pranavananda Theerthapada. The ashram authorities requested Mr. Chandy to hold the Crime Branch inquiry. Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Ramesh Chennithala also called up the ashram.
The upper hands of the idol were damaged. The right one was severed and the left broken and dangling. Hundreds of devotees rushed to the ashram on hearing about the incident. <b>What has alarmed the ashram authorities is that it comes close on the heels of an attack on Chattambi Swamy Samadhi Memorial Library at Panmana last Thursday. The ashram is Chattambi Swamy's samadhi</b>. <b>The police suspect the hand of anti-social elements in the attack</b>. Kaivalyananda Swamy of the ashram said both the attacks appeared to be planned. But there was no reason to conclude that there could be a communal element behind the attacks. "It could be the work of anti-social elements,'' he added.
Unfortunate, says Antony
The former Chief Minister A.K. Antony, who was at Karunagapally, visited the ashram. Mr. Antony, who held talks with Swamy Pranavananda Theerthapada, told presspersons that the attack was pre-planned and unfortunate. He wanted the culprits to be nabbed as soon as possible, and called for stringent action against them.
N.K. Premachandran, MP; A.N. Rajan Babu, Karunagapally MLA; and the Congress leaders K.C. Rajan and Sooranad Rajashekaram called at the ashram.
After visiting the ashram, Kollam MP P. Rajendran and other Communist Party of India (Marxist) leaders, including its central committee member M.A. Baby, called for an investigation by a high-level special team. Mr. Rajendran told presspersons that attacks on religious institutions was on the rise, and there could be a conspiracy behind them. He alleged that the all-round failure of the <b>United Democratic Front Government was giving criminal elements the confidence to unleash such attacks</b>, he added.
FROM The Hindu Dated October 24, 2005<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Staff Reporter
mailcenter.comcast.net/wm...194&sid=c0
<i>Crime Branch probe begins; dawn-to-dusk hartal in Kollam today</i>
KOLLAM: A Saraswathi idol at the entrance to Panmana Ashram was found desecrated on Sunday morning, leading to tension in the area.
An all-party meeting at the ashram called a dawn-to-dusk hartal in Kollam district on Monday in protest against the desecration. The Crime Branch of the Police Department is investigating the case. R. Krishnabhadran, Superintendent of Police, Crime Branch, Kollam, inspected the site. A strong police force has been deployed in the area. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy called up ashram head Pranavananda Theerthapada. The ashram authorities requested Mr. Chandy to hold the Crime Branch inquiry. Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Ramesh Chennithala also called up the ashram.
The upper hands of the idol were damaged. The right one was severed and the left broken and dangling. Hundreds of devotees rushed to the ashram on hearing about the incident. <b>What has alarmed the ashram authorities is that it comes close on the heels of an attack on Chattambi Swamy Samadhi Memorial Library at Panmana last Thursday. The ashram is Chattambi Swamy's samadhi</b>. <b>The police suspect the hand of anti-social elements in the attack</b>. Kaivalyananda Swamy of the ashram said both the attacks appeared to be planned. But there was no reason to conclude that there could be a communal element behind the attacks. "It could be the work of anti-social elements,'' he added.
Unfortunate, says Antony
The former Chief Minister A.K. Antony, who was at Karunagapally, visited the ashram. Mr. Antony, who held talks with Swamy Pranavananda Theerthapada, told presspersons that the attack was pre-planned and unfortunate. He wanted the culprits to be nabbed as soon as possible, and called for stringent action against them.
N.K. Premachandran, MP; A.N. Rajan Babu, Karunagapally MLA; and the Congress leaders K.C. Rajan and Sooranad Rajashekaram called at the ashram.
After visiting the ashram, Kollam MP P. Rajendran and other Communist Party of India (Marxist) leaders, including its central committee member M.A. Baby, called for an investigation by a high-level special team. Mr. Rajendran told presspersons that attacks on religious institutions was on the rise, and there could be a conspiracy behind them. He alleged that the all-round failure of the <b>United Democratic Front Government was giving criminal elements the confidence to unleash such attacks</b>, he added.
FROM The Hindu Dated October 24, 2005<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->