Ministers Aadhav and Ramesh inspected Deepam festival preparedness at the Arunachaleswarar Temple in Tiruvannamalai, as the annual celebrations are set to begin with flag hoisting on November 15. The Maha Deepam is scheduled to be lit atop the 2,668-foot hill on November 24, with lakhs of devotees expected.
During the inspection inside the temple परिसर, an aide accompanying Minister Aadhav—identified as a Muslim—entered wearing a cap described as a religious identifier. Hindu organisations and some devotees objected, leading to a brief commotion.
Following the protest, the aide removed the cap and continued to participate in the inspection meeting. The ministers later had darshan and distributed annadanam (free meals).
In other developments, the ministers named a newly arrived baby elephant “Hiralal” as “Namachivaya” and continued their review along the Girivalam path. Separately, a disabled devotee from Andhra Pradesh was reportedly stopped from entering the temple, leading to an argument with police and a short-lived disturbance.
