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Fact Check
Claim
A tweet claiming that a Bharat Mata murthy tied with ropes because of opposition from Christian missionaries was re-unveiled due to tireless efforts of the Hindu society in Kanyakumari.
We also received a related image on our Whatsapp verification helpline number claiming that Christians in the community had a problem with Bharat Mata and the statue being covered is a dangerous sign.
We found this being shared and discussed on Facebook and Twitter.
Factcheck
Through a keyword search, we came across a Goa Chronicle news article that reported this incident which took place in Tamil Nadu. The report published early this week, states that the Bharat Mata statue situated on the premises of the age-old Issaki Amman temple came under feud due to communal differences.
The same news report also stated that the owner of the temple, T Muthukumar, filed a petition to the district commissioner explaining, “The statue was on our Patta land without affecting public peace or law and order. It did not create any communal clashes. My ancestors built the temple, and we have been maintaining the same for generations.”
The feud concerning the statute arose because people from the Christian community in the village opposed having the statue in the said premise and pushed local authorities to have it removed, as per a recent Times of India report.
The TOI article further states that in response to this, BJP leaders Tarun Vijay and KJ Alphons asked for Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K Palaniswami to intervene in this issue. The news report includes an excerpt from the letter sent to the Chief Minister by the two BJP leaders. The excerpt reads, “Bharat Mata is an icon of faith and our devotion to India, which has inspired millions of revolutionaries during the freedom struggle.”
We found this incident reported by Times Now on their Youtube channel on 29 May, which describes that the Bharat Mata statue will be uncovered. But Christian groups have again opposed this saying it’s against the interest of minorities.
A Facebook verified page, The Nation, posted a report on the same subject.
Smitha Menon, who claims to be the BJP Mahila Morcha State Secretary in Kerala retweeted a post by The Tamil Nadu Chronicle on this topic.
A point of difference to note between these news reports is about the covering or removal of the statue. The Chronicle states that the Deputy Superintendent of Police asked his officers to cover the statue. Times of India on the other hand writes that a daily wager was asked to remove the statue by the local police.
Another point to note: While the Goa Chronicle described Muthukumar as the temple’s owner, Times of India described him as a daily wage earner who had put the statue near a temple in Kanyakumari.
Conclusion
It’s clear that there was a feud about Bharat Mata’s statue in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu because of opposition from members of the Christian community in the village. Videos shared on social media show people worshipping the statue. Whether it was tied with ropes and later uncovered remains unclear.
We will update this story if we come across any new information about the incident.
Tools Used
Result: Partly True
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Vasudha Beri
April 13, 2023
Prashant Sharma
January 3, 2023
Ujwala P
November 3, 2021
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