Chennai, Oct 7 (IANS): The Tamil Nadu state president of the BJP, K. Annamalai has called upon the DMK government to take immediate steps to open temples on all days. He was speaking at a protest march organised by the BJP in front of the Sri Kaalikambal temple in Chennai.

The BJP leader demanded from the DMK government to lift restrictions on weekend worship at all temples within 10 days. He warned that the DMK government will have to face backlash from the people of the state if it tries to "impose its ideology" on the people of Tamil Nadu.

The former IPS officer said that while Tasmac shops and cinema theatres are open on all days in the state, the temples are closed from Friday to Sunday. This is totally unfounded and that it defies all logic.

He said that the Tamil Nadu government was reopening schools for all classes for children even though Covid vaccine is not rolled out for children.

Annamalai said that the closure of temples has an indirect effect on the lives of people and said that the women who sell flowers or the traders who sell pooja materials or the farmers who produce them are all in misery as their livelihood is affected.

BJP senior leader and former union minister Pon Radhakrishnan participated the protest march at Tiruvannamalai, while former BJP national secretary H. Raja took part in the programme at Rameswaram.

Former BJP state president C.P. Radhakrishnan inaugurated the protest at Palani, while senior party leader and assembly legislator Nainar Nagendran launched the protest at Tiruchendur. Mahila Morcha National president Vanathi Sreenivasan joined the protest at Coimbatore.