I. The Sacred Hill and the Century-Old Legal Feud
The Thiruparankundram hill in Madurai, revered as the first of Lord Murugan’s six abodes, is a unique blend of religious syncretism, co-housing the Arulmigu Subramania Swamy Temple and the Sikandar Badusha Dargah. This coexistence, however, rests on a delicate legal and customary balance, repeatedly tested over a century.
The Judicial Claim to the ‘Deepathoon’
The genesis of the current conflict lies in the Deepathoon (stone lamp pillar), located on a lower peak of the hill, separate from the Dargah on the higher peak. The petitioner, Rama Ravikumar, sought to restore the Karthigai Deepam lighting at this pillar, citing historical tradition that had been discontinued.
The Madras High Court, through Justice G.R. Swaminathan, accepted this claim. Crucially, the court based its verdict on an old, seminal legal precedent: a 1923 civil court decree, upheld by the Privy Council in the 1930s, which affirmed that the vast majority of the hill belonged to the Hindu Temple, with the Muslim community’s rights limited strictly to the Dargah site, the Nellithope area, and the steps leading to it.
The judge argued that the Deepathoon was unquestionably temple property and that restraining the ritual would jeopardize the temple’s legal rights against potential encroachment by the Dargah management. The court directed the temple’s Executive Officer (EO) to light the Deepam at the Deepathoon, in addition to the traditional spot at the Uchi Pillaiyar Mandapam. This judicial focus was primarily on restoring temple property rights and tradition, not creating a new ritual.
II. Escalation: Defiance, Contempt, and the CISF
The local administration, citing grave law and order concerns, failed to implement the court’s order on the scheduled day. The Karthigai Deepam was lit only at the customary Uchi Pillaiyar Temple.
The CISF Command
This non-compliance led to an immediate escalation, with Justice Swaminathan initiating contempt proceedings and issuing a second, highly contentious order. In an extraordinary move, the judge ordered the CISF personnel stationed for security at the Madras High Court Madurai Bench to accompany the petitioner and ensure the Deepam lighting at the Deepathoon.
The deployment of a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) unit—whose jurisdiction is confined to central infrastructure like airports, ports, and central court buildings—to enforce a state-level law and order issue was immediately condemned by the DMK and its allies. It was perceived as a judicial overreach that deliberately bypassed the authority of the state police and introduced a central force into a highly volatile local religious dispute.
The State’s Firm Response
The DMK government, under the leadership of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, swiftly demonstrated its resolve to prioritize peace and administrative authority.
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Section 144 Imposition: The Madurai District Collector immediately promulgated prohibitory orders under Section 144 (now Section 163 BNSS) across the Thiruparankundram region, citing imminent law and order threats. This order legally barred any procession or assembly on the hill, effectively blocking the petitioner and the CISF contingent.
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Police Stand-Off: Police Commissioner J. Loganathan, along with senior officers, physically prevented the petitioner and the CISF team from ascending the hill. The high-ranking officer’s refusal, captured in the bold statement, “We are not allowing, we’ll face the consequences!”, became the emblem of the state’s defiance—a clear message that the state police would assert its constitutional mandate over local law and order, regardless of the judicial pressure.
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Legal Counter-Attack: The government, through the HR&CE Department, simultaneously filed an urgent appeal against the High Court order before the principal bench in Chennai, seeking to vacate the ruling on the grounds that it ignored the practical dangers to communal harmony.
III. The Political Firestorm: DMK’s ‘Iron Hand’ vs. BJP’s ‘Saffronisation’
The stand-off immediately transformed into a political lightning rod, illuminating the deep ideological and political schism between the DMK and the BJP.
DMK: Crusher of ‘Riot Politics’
The DMK’s narrative, championed by Ministers like P.K. Sekarbabu and Law Minister S. Regupathy, was one of protecting Tamil Nadu’s secular, Dravidian legacy against external political manipulation.
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Foreign Tactics: They accused the BJP of attempting to import its “communal politics” and “riot politics”—tactics they claimed worked in North Indian states—but which would fail in the “Dravidian land” of Periyar.
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Appeasement vs. Harmony: While the BJP accused the DMK of “minority appeasement,” the DMK countered that its action was not anti-Hindu, but pro-peace and pro-local custom. They pointed out that the traditional Deepam was lit successfully, and the police action was only against the “Sanghi riot gangs” who reportedly attacked the police and were cheered upon arrest by local devotees.
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Stalin’s Decisiveness: The government celebrated Chief Minister M.K. Stalin as the “Iron Man” for his swift decision-making, contrasting it with the perceived indecisiveness of opposition leaders like Edappadi Palaniswami and Vijay, who were accused of being political pawns awaiting direction from Delhi.
BJP: Defender of ‘Faith’ and Temple Rights
The BJP and affiliated Hindu outfits, including the Hindu Munnani, vigorously defended their actions and the judicial order.
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Anti-Hindu Bias: They labeled the DMK government’s defiance as an “anti-Hindu policy,” alleging that the DMK was deliberately suppressing Hindu rights for Muslim votes. BJP leaders like K. Annamalai and H. Raja slammed the government for preventing devotees from accessing temple property, despite the clear 1923 court ruling favouring the temple’s ownership of the hill.
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Challenging Law and Order Claims: BJP leaders denied the protests were violent, claiming the detentions were part of the DMK’s strategy to suppress a peaceful demonstration of faith. They demanded to know why the government acted against Hindu devotees but was soft on others who allegedly consumed non-vegetarian food on the sacred hill earlier in the year—a separate, but related flashpoint of communal tension.
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The ‘Faith’ Irony: The crisis brought the political use of ‘faith’ into sharp focus. Just as the BJP opposed the Supreme Court’s Sabarimala order by invoking ‘Faith,’ they were now demanding adherence to a High Court order that aligned with their political goals in Thiruparankundram. The underlying message: judicial orders are to be upheld or violated based on political expediency.
IV. Conclusion: A Litmus Test for the Future
The Thiruparankundram Deepam crisis concluded with a temporary victory for the Tamil Nadu government’s law and order mechanism. By imposing Section 144 and filing an immediate appeal, the government successfully prevented the Deepam lighting at the disputed spot, thus averting a potentially large-scale communal clash. The sight of local Murugan devotees celebrating the police action against the rioters affirmed the DMK’s claim that its stance was aligned with the desire of the local populace for peace and tradition, not communal strife.
This incident serves as a crucial litmus test. It highlights the BJP’s determined effort to use religion and judicial channels to push a communal agenda in Tamil Nadu, aiming for political dividends in the 2026 elections. Simultaneously, it demonstrates the DMK’s firm resolve, under M.K. Stalin, to use its administrative and legal authority—even if it means a constitutional stand-off with the judiciary and central forces—to protect the state’s long-established tradition of religious coexistence and maintain its image as a bulwark against ‘Saffronisation.’ The core message delivered by the DMK-backed administration remains: “Tamil Nadu will not allow it. Tamil Nadu will face the consequences.”
