Misleading Claim On 'Jamath Approval' for Ganesh Chaturthi in Tamil Nadu Viral

Madras HC gave this order for a single housing society area which was a Muslim majority in Coimbatore in 2022.

A viral social media post claimed that Hindus wanting to install idols of Lord Ganesh in honour of Ganesh Chaturthi, require permission from local jamath in Tamil Nadu, for the same.

(Archives of similar claims can be found here and here.) We received a query about this claim on our WhatsApp tipline number as well.

Is this true?: The claim is misleading.

• This article dates back to 2022 when the Madras High Court ordered the Coimbatore police to allow the installation of a Ganesha idol in a housing board colony with a significant Muslim population, only after getting approval from the local Jamath.

• The article did not mention that this practice applied in all of Tamil Nadu but just Coimbatore and only for a single housing society.

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What we found: We searched for the exact headline in the article which was being shared with the claim.

• We came across the same article by the Indian Express from 31 August 2022 which mentioned that the petitioner, Mahalakshmi was allowed to install the idol at Pullakadu Housing Unit in Ukkadam South in Coimbatore on the permission of the local jamath.

• The petitioner mentioned that residents of the area, along with members of the other community, were willing to partake in the celebrations, and even the Kamath did not have any objections.

• Justice N Sathish Kumar clarified that the petitioner must place the Vinayaka idol only inside their housing unit and observe the celebration without carrying out any procession with the idol.

• The article did not mention whether the order would be applied to the state of Tamil Nadu. Additionally, as mentioned, it only applied to a single housing society in Coimbatore.

• This story was also covered by The Print in 2022.

• No such reports about local jamath permission required for celebrations has emerged from Tamil Nadu, recently.

• A report by India Today from 7 September mentioned that the state police have organised extensive preparations for the widely celebrated festival called Vinayaka Chaturthi.

• Approximately 64,000 police officers were deployed on duty to control traffic and uphold law and order for the installation and procession of religious idols.

• Authorities have also pinpointed vulnerable zones within the city, and measures are being implemented to avoid any undesirable events.

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Conclusion: A misleading claim went viral that permission of local jamath was required to install Lord Ganesha's idols in Tamil Nadu.

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