Despite the pressure from Sangh Parivar outfits in Tamil Nadu for allowing the celebration of Vinaya Chaturthi across the State on August 22, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami has refused to backdown from his stand of no public celebration during the time of COVID-19. Attempts to install Vinayaka idols in several parts of the State were foiled by the police. BJP president L. Murugan led a delegation to the Chief Minister on August 17 to demand that the Vinayaka Chaturthi celebrations be allowed. Frontline was the only news outlet to report that the Chief Minister had declined to allow the celebrations, though Murugan, who addressed the press after the meeting, expressed the hope that the Chief Minister would allow the celebrations. The AIADMK-BJP fight has spilt on to social media, with each side pointing out acts of commission and omission of the other.

Source: The Hindu August 20, 2020 08:37 UTC