The Penang chapter of the Human Rights Party (HRP) has lodged a police report against the state government for allegedly not granting the party a permit for a booth at a temple complex during Thaipusam.

State HRP information chief S Jayathas lodged the report at the Jalan Pattani police station at 8.09pm last night.

NONE HRP advisor N Ganesan ( second from left in pic ) claimed that the Arulmigu Sree Balathandayuthapan temple committee, which answers to the state via the Hindu Endowment Board, was instructed not to approve a permit for the party as it would be displaying its political paraphernalia at the booth.

“What about DAP and PKR, who are seen to be displaying their logos and posters of Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and others?” he queried.

“Isn’t that politicking? Are they afraid that by carrying out our activities, we would talk about the misdoings of the state government?” he asked.

“Or are they worried as we have asked them (Pakatan Rakyat) to consider giving us 15 parliamentary seats in the coming general election?”

The Thaipusam celebrations start today, with tomorrow being a national public holiday.

DAP and PKR have set up prominent booths along Western Road which leads to the Murugan temple (the protector of innocents), which stands atop a small hill in Waterfall Garden.

DAP has installed a large party symbol on top of its booth, with a banner sporting Lim’s face.

Party had received receipt of approval

Ganesan, who held a press conference at the Arulmigu temple last night, said that the party had submitted its application and fee of RM100 for the booth on Dec 29, and had received a receipt of approval from the committee.

Later, it was asked to submit a letter detailing what activities the party was planning to carry out at the booth.

NONE The party then informed the committee that it would be carrying out activities like serving drinks to devotees and running a service kiosk to assist those who are stateless, and those who need welfare aid and basic human rights.

Ganesan said the party had not received any complaint from the public about its activities.

However, he added that temple committee chairperson P Kuvenaraju had had told him he was unable to do anything to help, implying that the party was out to play politics during the holy festival for Hindus.

On how would the party proceed if the council came to dismantle the booth for not following regulations, Ganesan said, “We are going right ahead with the matter.”

He added that he was concerned that if the council persists in preventing the party from continuing its activities, a fight might break out.

Further approval needed from council

Meanwhile, Kuvenaraju clarified that the committee’s task was only to recommend and support those who are planning to serve food and drinks at their booth.

For activities beyond that, for example, petty traders who wish to trade their goods, needed to obtain approval from the Penang Municipal Council.

He said that the committee has noted that the party had been carrying out activities other than serving food and drinks last year but refrained from enforcing its regulations on them.

NONE But the committee had intended to inform the party that it cannot continue with those activities again if it wanted its permit approved by the former, he added.

“The committee’s regulations prohibited political activities at the booths,” Kuvenaraju ( left ) said.

On Jan 16, the committee received a letter from HRP detailing the activities the party planned to do.

“That’s where the problem started... I have been asking to speak to them, to tell them to just serve food and drinks, tomorrow (Wednesday) is a working day, we can still get them the permit,” he said.

“I invited Ganesan to discuss the matter privately but he refused, he wanted to bring the others... then they became aggressive, scolding me and calling me names,” he charged.

Kuvenaraju denied that he was ever instigated by the endowment board, or its chairperson, Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy, to withhold the booth from HRP.

He insisted that the committee was not politically inclined and was merely carrying out its duty under its jurisdiction, which is to receive and approve applications for serving food and drinks within its temple site.