Co-optex MD removes Hindu deities images

CHENNAI: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) condemned Special Officer and Managing Director of Co-optex C Umashankar for allegedly ordering the removal of pictures of Hindu deities from the Co-optex office in the city on Monday. S S Vedantam, working president of VHP, said the IAS officer had no right to remove the images of Hindu deities put up in the Co-optex office. “Though he is Hindu by birth, Umashankar is a practising Christian and is spreading this culture among Dalit Hindus in Tamil Nadu,” Vedantam alleged.He further claimed that Umashankar had advised Dalits to remain officially Hindu in order to gain Government benefits but to practise Christianity in life. Keeping up this tradition, Umashankar had removed the pictures of Hindu deities from the Co-optex office, he alleged. Vedantam demanded that the State government take action against Umashankar.When Express contacted the IAS officer, he said, ”What the employees have done in the Co-optex office has no Government sanction, so I have removed the pictures only from the head office of Co-optex. In all Co-optex stores inside the complex, shop keepers have displayed only pictures and idols of Hindu deities, with no place for gods of other religions,” he said, pointing out that customers from all religious backgrounds visited these stores.