Madurai (Tamil Nadu) [India], June 11 (ANI): The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Minister Ramesh conducted a surprise inspection at the Meenakshi Amman Temple on Thursday in view of the preparations taking place for the upcoming Kumbabishekam ceremony.

Speaking to reporters, Ramesh highlighted the reason behind the inspection.

He said, 'Kumbabishekam ceremony at the famous Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai is scheduled to take place in the next two to three months. We inspected the progress of the preparatory and construction works being carried out for the event.'

He further stated that the inspection was conducted to ensure that the Kumbabishekam takes place as planned and on schedule.

'Today, we reviewed the ongoing construction works. About 90% of the work has been completed. Only around 10% remains, and we will ensure that the remaining work is completed soon,' he assured.

The inspection comes just days after a murder was reported on the temple premises during the Chithirai festival.

A 17-year-old boy was brutally murdered by a five-member gang in the car parking area of the iconic Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai, police said on Monday.

According to the Madurai City Police, the deceased minor has been identified as Kubendran. Preliminary investigations indicate that the killing was the fallout of an old enmity, specifically stemming from a clash that broke out during the recently concluded Chithirai festival.

Reacting to the incident, former BJP state chief K Annamalai launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's newly formed Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government over the law and order situation.

Sharing a video of the crime scene on the social media platform X, Annamalai wrote, 'What you see in this video is the blood stains of a young boy who was brutally murdered by a gang of five near the Meenakshi Amman temple in Madurai. Drug peddlers, Sexual assaulters, and murderers have a free pass in Tamil Nadu.'

The BJP leader further accused the state police force of failing to maintain vigilance and criticised the new administration for failing to handle governance responsibly.

'The State police seem to have learnt no lessons from the past, & the new TVK govt is yet to emerge from its celebratory mode and confront the grim realities unfolding on the ground,' Annamalai added. (ANI)