There is a ban on idols made from chemical substances in Tamil Nadu. The High Court and NGT have banned such idols. In this case, action was taken against those who made idols of Lord Ganesha from POP before Ganesh Chaturthi last year. That video is being shared with a communal claim.
New Delhi (Vishvas News): A viral video circulating on social media shows women and children, pleading with the police and others in a non-Hindi language. The video is being shared with claims that a warehouse in Tamil Nadu, where Lord Ganesha’s idols were made by poor artisans, was sealed, haulting sales and prompting the accusations that the Tamil Nadu government is anti-Hindu.
Upon investigation, Vishvas News found these claims misleading. The viral video from September last year, shows the district collector of Karur enforcing a ban on idols made of Plaster of Paris (POP).. Later, the Supreme Court upheld the ban imposed by the Madras High Court on the sale of idols of Lord Ganesha made of POP prior to Ganesh Chaturthi last year.
X user @DrEramElizabeth (archive link) posted the video on July 27, 2024, and wrote in Hindi, “In Tamil Nadu, the slum warehouse of poor Marwaris who make idols of Gods was sealed and a notice was issued to them not to sell the idols. Now they will not be able to deliver the idols ordered for Ganesh Chaturthi. I.N.D.I.A Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has proclaimed a new way to end Hindu culture”
Facebook user Deva Nand Devraj (archive link) also shared the video with a similar claim.
To verify the authenticity of the viral claim, , Vishvas News reviewed the video carefully and found that it features the logo of Polymer News. On scanning the YouTube channel of Polymer News, we found the same video uploaded on September 17, 2023, with the caption, “Ganpati idol worth Rs 10 lakh sealed, will be removed later with strict conditions.” The description reads that the people of Uttar Pradesh cried when the hall was sealed for making idols of Lord Ganesha worth Rs 10 lakh from chemicals. The seal will be removed once the strict conditions of the Madurai branch of the High Court are met.
On September 15, 2023, the district collector of Karur, Tamil Nadu, while responding to a post by user @LegalLro, said that the news is factually incomplete and distorted. He wrote, “It has been repeatedly directed by various Hon’ble High Courts, NGT (National Green Tribunal) and CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board) that the idols made for Vinayaka Chaturthi will be made of completely biodegradable materials. The use of materials like POP is strictly prohibited.”
He also wrote, “In this case, a complaint was made by the Traditional Potters Association that some people are making idols of Vinayaka from POP. This is affecting their livelihood. Action has been taken in this matter. On 25 September 2023, the idols will be safely returned to those who made them.” He also shared a copy of the orders of the Madras High Court and NGT, which prohibit the making of idols containing chemicals that pollute the water bodies.
As per a news report published on the website of The New Indian Express on September 19, 2023, the Supreme Court had upheld the Madras High Court’s ban on the sale of Ganesh idols made of POP in Tamil Nadu ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi. It also reads that a bench headed by CJI DY Chandrachud dismissed the petition of a Ganesh idol artisan challenging the Madras High Court’s order. , d The court emphasised that idols can be made from natural clay, rather than with POP.
Local journalist Suresh Murthy of Tamil Nadu said the order was regarding idols made from chemical substances. Action was taken against those making idols from POP. Due to the pollution they cause, idols made from POP are banned.
We scanned the profile of the user who shared the video with the misleading claim. The user has 1690 followers.
Conclusion: There is a ban on idols made from chemical substances in Tamil Nadu. The High Court and NGT have banned such idols. In this case, action was taken against those who made idols of Lord Ganesha from POP before Ganesh Chaturthi last year. That video is being shared with a communal claim.
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