Temple control: SC seeks Centre, TN's response on Swamy's plea

The Supreme Court today sought the response of the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government on a plea filed by Rajya Sabha BJP MP Subramanian Swamy seeking impleadment in the matter pertaining to control over temples by the government or trusts.
A bench of Justices Kurian Joseph and R F Nariman asked the Centre and the state government to give their reply in four weeks and the parties to file rejoinder to the reply in two weeks thereafter.
Swamy, in his plea, has said that he wanted to bring some new facts to the notice of the court which are relevant with regard to the control of Natarajar temple at Chidambaram and other temples in Tamil Nadu.

The apex court had in Janurary 2014 quashed the Tamil Nadu government's February 2009 order appointing Executive Officer to manage the affairs and properties of the Natarajar temple at Chidambaram.
While allowing the appeals of Swamy and Podhu Dikshitars, the court had held that the right of the Dikshitars to manage the temple could not be taken away by the government.
The court had said that that the right to administer the temple by the Dikshitars had been recognised by the apex court in its judgement in 1952 and it could not be taken away.