Vinayagar idol immersion procession: 3000 cops deployed in highly sensitive TN's Muthupettai

Chennai, Aug 28 (IANS) The highly sensitive town of Muthupettai in Tiruvarur district of Tamil Nadu is set to witness the annual Vinayagar idol immersion procession on September 1, with elaborate security arrangements in place.

Former BJP state president K. Annamalai will take part in the event, which is organised every year by the Hindu Munnani and has now reached its 33rd edition.

The procession is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. from the Sivan temple at Jambuvanodai Vadakadu. From there, the route will cover Kanthaparichanaru, Kalladikollai Branch Road, Jambuvanodai Dargah, the Thiagi Sivagurunathan Memorial, Asath Nagar and proceed to the old bus stand. At this point, several Vinayagar idols brought from different parts of the district will join the procession from Goyya Mukkam and Bangalow Vasal, before heading towards the Bhamani River via ECR and Senbadavankadu.

Given that the procession passes through Muslim-majority localities and has witnessed tensions in the past, the event is considered among the most sensitive in the state.

This year, with Annamalai’s participation, the security focus has been further intensified.

On Tuesday, Central Zone Inspector General of Police K. Joshi Nirmal Kumar inspected the route and reviewed the arrangements. He announced that a massive deployment of forces would be made to prevent any untoward incidents.

“Under the supervision of the DIGs of Tiruchy and Thanjavur, as many as 10 Superintendents of Police, 50 Deputy Superintendents, and more than 3,000 personnel will be on duty,” he said.

Tiruvarur Superintendent of Police Karun Garad also held discussions with local residents, community leaders, and the idol procession committee.

He urged all stakeholders to cooperate with officials to ensure the peaceful conduct of the event.

On Wednesday, he personally visited the sensitive stretches along the route and reviewed crowd-control measures. Authorities emphasised that maintaining harmony between communities during the festival was their top priority.

Senior officials have assured that the deployment would include quick reaction teams, traffic diversions, and surveillance through CCTV cameras to monitor the procession.

With multi-layered security arrangements and constant monitoring, police hope to ensure that this year’s Vinayagar idol immersion in Muthupettai is conducted smoothly and without incident.

--IANS

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