The longstanding tradition of lighting the Karthigai Deepam at the Thiruparankundram hills in Madurai has erupted into a major legal and political confrontation in Tamil Nadu. The state government has openly defied the Madras High Court's orders for a second consecutive day, leading to contempt proceedings, widespread protests, and the detention of BJP state president Nainar Nagendran along with dozens of supporters.
Courtroom Battles and Contempt Proceedings
On Thursday, a division bench of the Madras High Court, comprising Justices G Jayachandran and K K Ramakrishnan, dismissed the state government's appeal against a contempt order. The bench observed that the appeal appeared to be a tactic to preempt contempt action. This decision upheld the earlier order by Justice G R Swaminathan, which permitted the lighting of the lamp at the Deepathoon (stone lamp pillar) atop the hill with CISF protection.
The legal tussle began when Justice Swaminathan, on Monday, allowed petitioner Rama Ravikumar and others to light the lamp at Deepathoon, setting aside objections regarding the site's proximity to a dargah and the fact that the lamp had been lit at the Uchi Pillaiyar Temple for decades. When the order was not followed on Wednesday, with the lamp being lit at the Uchi Pillaiyar Temple instead, the judge initiated contempt proceedings.
Despite the court's clear directive, police prevented the petitioner and ten others from proceeding to the hills on Wednesday, citing prohibitory orders. Following the dismissal of the state's appeal on Thursday, Justice Swaminathan resumed contempt proceedings, quashed the prohibitory orders imposed by the Madurai district administration, and once again permitted the lighting at Deepathoon, this time under the protection of Madurai city police. The judge warned that defiance would lead to "harsh consequences."
On-Ground Standoff and Political Protests
However, in a repeat of Wednesday's events, police officials again stopped the individuals from ascending the hill on Thursday, stating it would be detrimental to public order. This defiance unfolded against a backdrop of intense protests at the Thiruparankundram foothills.
Hundreds of BJP workers and Hindu group activists gathered to protest against the state government's actions. The police deployment was massive, with over 1,000 personnel stationed to control the situation. BJP state chief Nainar Nagendran engaged in a heated argument with police officials before being detained. He was taken into custody along with several other prominent leaders, including H Raja and Amarprasad Reddy, and approximately 50 party cadres to prevent them from proceeding to the hills.
Legal Escalation and Future Hearings
Facing contempt action, the Tamil Nadu government has escalated the matter to the Supreme Court. It filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) challenging the division bench order that dismissed its appeal. Simultaneously, the legal battle continues in the Madras High Court.
A division bench is scheduled to hear on December 5 the appeals filed by the Madurai District Collector and the executive officer of the Subramaniya Swamy Temple authorities. These appeals challenge the original order passed by the single bench of Justice Swaminathan allowing the lamp to be lit at the Deepathoon.
The standoff has transformed a religious observance into a flashpoint involving issues of governance, judicial authority, and religious practice, with all sides digging in for a prolonged fight. The coming days will be crucial as the Supreme Court's intervention is sought and the High Court continues its hearings.
