# Tamil Nadu minister defends chickenpox temple mandapam 2026-08-24T02:43:05+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Tamil Nadu HR&CE Minister Ramesh has defended the government's plan to build a dedicated resting hall for devotees cured of chickenpox at Sri Mariamman Temple in Anbil. He accused the DMK of spreading false propaganda that the mandapam would spread the disease. Speaking in Tiruchi, the minister said the temple draws large numbers of devotees from across the state, many of whom petitioned for the facility to stay and fulfil vows after recovery from chickenpox. He said the decision was based on rising visitor numbers and public demand. The minister also accused former DMK minister P.K. Sekarbabu of misusing his influence to obtain internal department inputs, and warned that officials leaking information would face action. He dismissed opposition criticism that Chief Minister Vijay ignored questions in the assembly, saying other ministers are authorised to respond. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The chickenpox mandapam controversy taps into deep religious practices around Mariamman temples, where devotees often undertake vows during illness. Tamil Nadu has a history of temple-based health segregation, including separate bathing ghats for skin ailments. The real test will be whether the state health department issues a scientific opinion on infection risk. The DMK's online campaign suggests this will remain an assembly flashpoint. Watch for the next assembly session, likely in September 2026, where the opposition may demand a white paper on temple health protocols. ## Coverage - thehindu.com Straight news report quoting the minister's defence, with no editorial comment or framing that favours or criticises the government. This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: DMK, HR&CE Department, Ramesh, Sri Mariamman Temple Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/tamil-nadu-minister-defends-chickenpox-temple-mandapam/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/tamil-nadu-minister-defends-chickenpox-temple-mandapam/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/