After Gita row, visitors banned from taking snaps at APJ Abdul Kalam memorial

A day after the controversy over an engraved 'Bhagavad Gita' near the wooden statue of former President APJ Abdul Kalam at his memorial in Rameswaram, visitors to the memorial were not allowed to take photographs or selfies inside the premises on Monday.

The visitors were prevented from taking photos by the police personnel deployed there.

However, sources in Ramanathapuram district administration said the restrictions on taking photographs inside the memorial might have been taken by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) which is maintaining the premises. "We have not got any information on the imposition of restrictions on taking photographs inside the memorial," sources said.

The Kalam's memorial which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 27 found itself in a row after MDMK chief Vaiko alleging that it is BJP's move to promote Hinduism. Dr Kalam's grand-nephew Sheikh Salim on Monday placed a Bible and Quran next to Bhagavad Gita to end the row.

However, hours later, officials manning the memorial kept the Bible and Quran in a glass box in the vicinity of the statue after a local Hindu outfit leader registered a police complaint stating that no permission was taken to place the holy books (of Bible and Quran) near the statue.

DMK's working president MK Stalin had said that placing of an engraved 'Bhagavad Gita' near the statue of Dr Kalam at his memorial amounted to the BJP's attempt to "thrust communalism in Tamil Nadu".