"Undemocratic DMK govt brazenly defying court order": BJP's Kesavan on Karthigai Deepam row at Subramaniya Swamy Temple in Madurai

Speaking to ANI, Kesavan said the DMK government's stance reflected "deep disrespect for Ambedkar ji's Constitution" and accused the ruling party of showing "bitterness" towards Hindu beliefs and devotees.

"The undemocratic DMK government brazenly defying the court order allowing the lighting of the sacred Karthigai Deepam lamp at the Deepa Thoon pillar atop the Thirupparankundram hill shows the DMK government's deep disrespect for Ambedkar ji's constitution. It also exposes the DMK government's bitter hatred towards the Hindu faith and Hindu devotees," he said.

Kesavan alleged that the DMK's actions were guided by "bigoted politics of appeasement." He further claimed that Chief Minister and DMK President MK Stalin "deliberately avoids" extending greetings on major Hindu festivals.

"Even the CM of Tamil Nadu and the DMK President, MK Stalin, deliberately avoids wishing the people of Tamil Nadu on Hindu festivals like Diwali, while wishing them on other religious festivals," he said.

The controversy comes after chaos that erupted around the Thiruparankundram hilltop Subramaniya Swamy Temple in Tamil Nadu's Madurai district on Wednesday when unrest unfolded during the Hindu festival of Karthigai Deepam, a celebration symbolising the triumph of light over darkness.

Trouble began when activists from right-wing groups clashed with police after state government officials failed to light the sacred lamp at the hilltop stone lamp pillar. The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court had earlier directed that the lamp must be lit at the hilltop temple itself.

For centuries, Thiruparankundram hill has been regarded as a centre of religious coexistence and communal harmony. The hill houses the historic Subramaniya Swamy Temple, the Kasi Viswanathar Temple, and the Sikkander Badusha Dargah, a 17th-century mosque built long after the temples came into existence.

Earlier this week, acting on a petition filed by a right-wing activist, Justice GR Swaminathan ordered state authorities to ensure that the sacred lamp was lit atop the hill. However, government officials viewed this as a break from the longstanding practice of lighting the lamp at the nearby Deepa Mandapam, a ritual followed for several years.

Meanwhile, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed that the petitioner, along with ten others, be permitted to go up to the Deepam pillar on the Thirupparankundram hilltop to light the Karthigai Deepam, while ordering the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to provide adequate security, after it found that its earlier order on the ritual had been wilfully disobeyed. (ANI)