Pastor held for hurting religious sentiments

A pastor and Chairman of St Pauls College of Arts and Science here were arrested on Thursday on a complaint from the Hindu Munnani that he was trying to fan communal tension, police said.

Pastor V David allegedly made some remarks in the context of the Vinayaka Chathurthi processions, sources said, adding he has been remanded to 14 days of judicial custody and lodged in the Central jail.

Meanwhile, Hindu Munnani Tamil Nadu president Kadeshwara Subramaniam said that Chaturthi will be celebrated as usual, as planned earlier, and condemned the state government's decision to impose restrictions on public celebrations of Vinayaka Chathurthi citing COVID-19.

Subramaniam said in Tirupur that Munnani workers organized prayers in front of temples across Tamil Nadu today seeking blessings for the conduct of the festival.

He demanded that Government immediately should talk to the Munnani and withdraw the curbs.

The future course of action will be decided in a few days, he added.

Munnani workers organized prayers in front of temples at more than 200 places in Tirupur and Coimbatore districts.