Deepam row: BJP hails Madras HC order, calls DMK, Cong 'anti-Hindu'

New Delhi: The BJP on Tuesday hailed a Madras High Court order upholding a single judge's directive allowing the lighting of a lamp at a stone pillar on the Thirupparankundram hill in Madurai, and described the DMK, Congress and the INDI alliance as “anti-Hindu” and “anti-Sanatan”.

Hours after the division bench of Justices G Jayachandran and K K Ramakrishnan delivered the judgment, senior BJP leader and Union minister Piyush Goyal termed the order a “slap on the face of the appeasement policy” of the INDI alliance and “victory of the Hindu religion”.

“The two judges have given conclusive direction that this is an age-old practice. This is a matter of the Hindu religion and the sentiments of the local people. The practice has been going on for centuries. This order has clearly lifted the veil of the DMK government, Chief Minister M K Stalin, his son and deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, Congress and all the INDI alliance members,” Goyal said at a press conference at the BJP headquarters here.

The high court bench slammed the DMK government, which had submitted that there was no evidence to establish that the pillar was a “deepathoon”, saying it should not "stoop to that level" to achieve its "political agenda".

The bench also made it clear that the spot on which the stone pillar (deepathoon) is located belongs to the Sri Subramania Swamy temple.

The Tamil Nadu government indicated that it would appeal against the order in the Supreme Court.

Goyal also slammed the INDI alliance members for moving an impeachment motion against Madras High Court judge Justice G R Swaminathan, who first held that the Arulmighu Subramania Swamy temple was duty-bound to light the lamp at the ‘deepathoon’, in addition to the customary lighting near the Uchi Pillaiyar Mandapam.

The BJP leader claimed that the DMK took the initiative for the impeachment motion, which was signed by Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, Samajwadi Party’s Dharmendra Yadav, NCP's Supriya Sule, and Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Arvind Sawant, among others.

“They are intimidating the judiciary and levelling false charges against the honourable judge,” Goyal alleged.