A PIL has been submitted to the Madras High Court, urging the removal of Sai Baba idols from temples administered either directly or indirectly by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department.

Acting Chief Justice R Mahadevan has accepted the plea and issued notices to both the State government and the HR&CE department in response.

The petitioner contends that seven to eight temples under the HR&CE Department have installed statues of Sai Baba, which he argues contravenes the principles and traditions of Hindu worship. The argument posits that temples are intended solely for deities and not for individuals regarded as godmen.

"My prayer is that all idols of godmen, including Sai Baba, in temples under HR&CE should be removed. Private temples can do whatever they want. But can HR&CE temples have idols of godmen," the counsel for the petitioner argued.

Moreover, the petition stressed that Sai Baba, widely revered as a saint, belonged to the Muslim faith. It argued that placing his idol in Hindu temples administered by the HR&CE Department goes against the Agamas, the traditional scriptures that prescribe rituals and deity worship in Hindu temples.