The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) election office in Mylapore, Chennai, faced closure by city authorities on Friday following alleged violations discovered just a day after its inauguration. Located adjacent to the historic Kapaleeswarar temple, the office was sealed by the police, citing its unauthorized use of land earmarked for commercial purposes for political activities.The move came after Renuka, the Chennai District Joint Commissioner of the Hindu Religious Endowments Department, conducted investigations and found irregularities regarding the use of the site. Despite being designated for commercial purposes, the land was allegedly utilized as a political party office, prompting swift action from the authorities.
The BJP’s South Chennai District had recently inaugurated an election office at RK Mutt Road in Mylapore Constituency, Chennai, in preparation for the upcoming parliamentary elections. The opening ceremony was attended by senior party leaders Karu Nagarajan, Karate Thiagarajan, and Raja, who is the South Chennai Parliamentary In-Charge.
However, the office’s proximity to the Kapaleeswarar Temple raised concerns, especially as the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department oversees the management of over 50,000 Hindu temples, including the Kapaleeswarar Temple in Mylapore. Upon discovering the alleged violations, the HR&CE department conducted a thorough inspection of the site and subsequently sealed the BJP’s election office.