Thiruparankundram hill row: BJP leader H Raja, 11 others detained after face-off with police

MADURAI: Eleven, including H Raja, were detained by police for allegedly trying to enter the area where the Kallathi tree (sacred tree) was located atop the Thiruparankundram hill on Monday night in Madurai district.According to police sources, on Monday evening at around 3.40 pm, senior BJP leader H Raja, along with BJP functionaries, reportedly went to the Kasi Viswanathar temple on Thiruparankundram hill for worship.Following that, H Raja allegedly wanted to see if the flag was tied to the Kallathi tree (sacred tree) by the Sikandar Badusha Dargah administration.The police denied permission to enter the premises. An angered H Raja got into a verbal spat with the police. The police stated that they could not allow him there, citing law and order issues.However, H Raja, along with others, went near the Kallathi tree.Following this, the police immediately went and forcibly brought them back to the foot of the hill at around 7 pm.Further, eleven BJP functionaries, including H Raja, were detained by Thiruparankundram police and released on the same day. The city police registered a case in this regard on Tuesday.