Madras High Court Summons Tamil Nadu Officials in Thirupparankundram Temple Lamp Lighting Dispute

Chennai:

The Madras High Court's Madurai Bench has summoned Tamil Nadu's Chief Secretary and Additional Director-General of Police (Law and Order) to appear via video conference on December 17 regarding the Thirupparankundram lamp lighting controversy.

The case centers on lighting a festival lamp on one of two ancient pillars, known as 'deepathon', situated on a hill in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, at the Thirupparankundram Subramaniaswamy temple.

Justice GR Swaminathan, presiding over the contempt petition filed by Rama Ravikumar, issued the directive for the senior officials' appearance. The Union Home Secretary has also been made a party to the proceedings.

Ravikumar approached the court seeking action against the Madurai district collector, Commissioner of Police, and the Executive Officer of Arulmighu Subramanya Swamy temple for failing to comply with previous court orders.

The petitioner's counsel argued that authorities were attempting to delay compliance with the court's directives.

Advocate Karthikeyan N later revealed to reporters that a statutory notice had been issued to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Madurai, questioning why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against him.

Additional Advocate General Veera Kathiravan, representing the state, informed the court that Tamil Nadu authorities had filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court challenging the single judge's order on lighting the lamp atop Thirupparankundram hill.

On December 1, Justice Swaminathan had ordered the temple management to arrange the lamp lighting on a stone pillar during the Karthigai Deepam festival on December 3.

When the event didn't occur despite the court order, the judge permitted the petitioner and ten others to light the lamp with CISF protection on the evening of December 3.

While admitting the contempt plea on December 4, the court invalidated the prohibitory order implemented by the district collector during the Karthigai Deepam festival.

In a separate development on Tuesday, more than 120 opposition MPs, including Congress' Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, submitted a proposal to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to impeach Justice GR Swaminathan over his rulings in the Thirupparankundram Subramaniaswamy temple case.