Madurai, Oct. 28 -- In Thangam Venkatesh vs State of Tamil Nadu, Justices GR Swaminathan and P Murugan of the Madras High Court have ruled that non-Hindus sporting religious markers and who do not subscribe to reverence for the deity concerned cannot be permitted to step into any part of an Agamic temple premises, not just beyond the flag pole. If such entry is permitted without signing an undertaking, it would defile the sanctity of the temple.

The Court observed that there are egregious breaches in recent times, noting MLA Badrudeen Mustafa entering the Meenakshi temple after his election, claiming the right to inspect amenities and going up temple towers during Kumbabishekam, while proclaiming that Sanatana Dharma ought to be eradicat...