Coimbatore : Defying the ban, nearly 100 BJP workers, led by party Tamil Nadu General Secretary, Vanathi Srinivasan today lit individual lamps in a city temple.

The State government has barred the devotees from lighting individual lamps in major private temples, in the aftermath of fire incident in Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai in February last, gutting nearly 30 shops.

Protesting against the Govenrment decision, BJP workers, including 25 women, went to Kottai Eswaran Temple in the evening and lit lamps, even as a good number of police remained mute spectators.

Before lighting the lamp Vanathi told police that the workers were going to defy the ban and light lamps and the cops could arrest them if wanted.

Even temple authorities did not take any objection but however said that the Government wanted safety of the temple and the people and hence did not permit lighting of individual lamps.