No Political Move to Keep Away Thakkar, Trustees From Consecration: Electricity Min
Nirmal Kumar questioned the DMK’s association with the temple and alleged that the previous government had appointed DMK functionaries and relatives of ministers and party leaders to temple trust boards
Madurai: Electricity and law minister C.T. Nirmal Kumar has rejected allegations of a deliberate political move to keep the names of the Meenakshi Amman temple Thakkar and trustees out of the invitation for the temple’s consecration on September 17, saying the invitation had been prepared and distributed by the temple administration as per protocol.
Nirmal Kumar, who is also the MLA for Thiruparankundram, inspected the arrangements for the consecration at the temple on Saturday. Asked about the omission of the names of the temple Thakkar Rukmini Palanivel Rajan and trustees P.K.M. Chellaiah, D. Subbulakshmi, M. Srinivasan and S. Meena, he said the temple administration had followed the prescribed protocol while preparing the invitation and it is being distributed.
“The consecration invitation should give prominence only to the temple and Meenakshi Amman. It is not appropriate to give prominence to individuals. There is no need to politicise temple affairs,” added the minister.
Nirmal Kumar questioned the DMK’s association with the temple and alleged that the previous government had appointed DMK functionaries and relatives of ministers and party leaders to temple trust boards. He also assured that the Vijay-led government would not appoint political party functionaries to temple trustee boards.
“Only genuine devotees and those who serve the temple will be appointed to temple trustee boards,” he said. The minister also said that Chief Minister Vijay would not participate at the Meenakshi Amman temple consecration function on September 17.
The invitation carries the names of the Chief Minister, state ministers, Madurai district MLAs and senior HR&CE officials but omits the names of Rukmini Palanivel Rajan and the trustees, whose terms were extended for two years from January 2026. Instead, they are referred to collectively as the “Arangaaval Kuzhu”. The omission has triggered allegations that it was a deliberate political attempt to sideline Rukmini Palanivel Rajan, mother of former DMK Minister P.T.R. Palanivel Thiaga Rajan.
