TN govt to challenge HC ruling upholding single judge order on Thirupparankundram lamp lighting case

Chennai, Jan 6 (PTI) The Tamil Nadu government will appeal against the Madras High Court's ruling on Tuesday upholding a single bench order allowing lighting of the lamp atop the Thirupparankundram hill, state Minister S Regupathy said.

The Minister for Natural Resources claimed that the verdict of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court was "legally incorrect." The division Bench comprising Justices G Jayachandran and K K Ramakrishnan earlier in the day upheld judge G R Swaminathan's order allowing the lighting of Karthigai deepam on the Thirupparankundram hill in Madurai, and slammed the DMK government, calling "ridiculous" its claim that lighting of the lamp will cause disturbance to public peace.

In Madurai, shortly after the judgment was delivered, BJP members under H Raja, convenor of TN BJP coordination Committee, celebrated the verdict by bursting firecrackers.

Devotees had sought contempt of court proceedings against the temple officials and local authorities for not complying with the December 1 order allowing the lighting of the lamp on a stone pillar (Deepathoon) near a Dargah on Karthigai Deepam festival on December 3. The authorities went on an appeal against the single judge order and sought to quash it.

Speaking to reporters at the Secretariat here, Regupathy said the "culture and heritage of Tamils must be protected. It is not possible to implement a custom or tradition that has not existed until now at the request of someone." He contended that the prevailing customs could not be altered. "A dead body can be cremated only at a crematorium. Can it be cremated elsewhere? Do not change the existing customs and practices. Why attempt to create confusion in Tamil Nadu by delivering such a judgment," the Minister said, a remark that evoked spontaneous criticism from the BJP.

"The Minister's statement deserves strong condemnation. If we say dead bodies can only be buried in a graveyard, then why did you fight to bury your leader on the beach," BJP chief spokesperson, Narayanan Thirupathy, asked, in an apparent reference to the late DMK President M Karunanidhi.

In a post on the social media platform 'X', he said Regupathy didn't know how to compare one issue with another.

"He lacks civility. Forgetting his duty and responsibility, he criticises the judiciary like a henchman of a gang — this is a shameful act," Thirupathy said and demanded an apology from the minister.

Also, he demanded Chief Minister M K Stalin to immediately remove Regupathy from the Cabinet for hurting the people by his remark.

The Minister said both the state government and the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department would appeal before the SC challenging the verdict.

Meanwhile, SDPI state president Nellai Mubarak urged the state government to immediately appeal before the Supreme Court.

In a statement here, he said Tuesday's order was "very disappointing." "The court should have considered that the government has the primary responsibility and duty to maintain law and order. Court orders should be in a manner that protects religious harmony and should not be against it for any reason," he said. PTI JSP JSP SA