Hundreds of devotees taking part in the festivities of Sri Periya Mariamman Temple were arrested on Thursday when they were proceeding towards a land under dispute to prepare Pongal.

An area of 12.66 acres under the possession of Church of South India is claimed by Sri Periya Mariamman Temple Land Retrieval Movement as the original property of the temple.

Representatives of the Movement questioned the rationale behind permitting CSI to retain the land even after a government survey establishing that it was under unauthorised possession.

They criticised the district administration for not doing enough to retrieve the land for the purpose of laying 80 feet road linking the Brough Road with the Chennimalai Road.

Referring to the speed with which land was acquired from private owners for the proposed traffic island at Government Hospital Junction, they charged the government authorities with double standards.