The event was banned by the local police which said communal tension could be inflamed

A group of 21 women voluntarily removed their mangalsutras at 6.45 am today in Chennai; then came the news that the Madras High Court had cancelled permission for the event.



The Dravidar Kazhagam - an organization which says it is committed to promoting the ideology of rationalist leader Periyar, had planned a twin protest today. "A beef banquet" was meant to express its opposition to the ban on beef introduced in Maharashtra. The group had also said that nearly 170 couples would stand in solidarity as wives removed their mangalsutras or "thalis" - a sacred thread worn by married women - because it is a symbol of a woman's enslavery.



After protests by Hindu groups, the event was banned by the local police which said communal tension could be inflamed, but last evening, a judge at the Madras High Court said the Dravidar Kazhagam's right to freedom of expression must be upheld. That decision was overruled this morning by two other judges on the basis of an appeal by the state government.





The Dravidar Kazhagam planned its protests after a television channel discussing the relevance of the mangalsutra in modern society was targeted with crude bombs at its Chennai office."We will seek legal remedy," said Dravidar Kazhagam chief K Veeramani today. "We will not defy the court order...we are against any curb on freedom of expression," he added.