Tension prevails following demolition of temple

Tension prevails following demolition of temple
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

MADURAI, NOV 12: Tension prevailed in Chettiapatti village near Chinnaalapatti in Tamil Nadu's Dindigul District after forest department officials demolished a fifty-year-old place of worship constructed in the forest limits.

According to the police, the place of worship had been renovated with contribution from the local people in July last and local people had been offering worship since then.

Meanwhile, forest department officials, who conducted a survey, found that the place of worship was in their land and demolished it yesterday.

According to the police, local people surrounded the forest department officials and protested against the demolition. The people refused to disperse even after the forest department officials opened fire in the air and the officials detained them.

Meanwhile, Dindigul police rushed to the spot and held talks with the people who charged that the forest officials had demolished the place of worship keeping the people away at gun point. The people demanded that it should be rebuilt. They also sent a petition to the district collector.