Thanjavur, March 28 -- Former Idol Wing Inspector General Pon Manickavel on Saturday strongly criticized the Tamil Nadu government for its alleged inaction in retrieving two ancient panchaloha idols stolen over 50 years ago from the historic Thirupazhanam Apatsahayeswarar Temple near Thiruvaiyaru in Thanjavur district.

Pon Manickavel stated that the temple, which is over 1,100 years old, had lost its Parvathi and Nataraja idols several decades ago. These idols, considered sacred and used for daily worship, were reportedly smuggled out of the country.

He claimed that the Parvathi idol has now surfaced in New York, US, where it is being displayed at the Sotheby's auction house with a price tag of Rs.8 crore. Calling the auction illegal, h...