Karthigai Deepam row: Chaos after Tamil Nadu officials fail to comply with HC order; here’s what has happened so far

The lighting of the lamp is seen as an important ritual performed during the Hindu festival of Karthigai Deepam, a celebration symbolising the triumph of light over darkness, the news agency noted.

What did the court say?

Earlier this week, acting on a petition filed by a right-wing activist, Justice GR Swaminathan had ordered state authorities to ensure that the sacred lamp was lit atop the hill.

The court permitted the petitioner, along with ten others and security personnel, to ascend the hill and light the lamp.

However, government officials treated it as a break from the longstanding practice of lighting the lamp at the nearby Deepa Mandapam, and lit the lamp there itself.

Authorities stated that the Tamil Nadu government had filed an appeal challenging the earlier High Court order, and an immediate ascent could worsen the law-and-order situation, news agency ANI quoted.

How did the protests begin?

The non-compliance of state government officials triggered Hindu outfits to confront the police, as per the ANI report.

As crowds swelled and tensions rose, the police assessed the situation as unsafe.

To enforce the court order, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) were deployed. Fearing an escalation of tensions, the police prevented both the petitioner and CISF personnel from reaching the hilltop.

Right-wing organisations and BJP cadre protested vehemently against what they called the state government’s failure to follow the HC’s directive. Protesters dismantled police barricades and attempted to march towards the hilltop temple, as per ANI citing visuals from the site.

The police have deployed additional forces across Thiruparankundram and imposed prohibitory orders to restrict unlawful assembly, ANI report added.

The Madurai Bench of the Madras HC, meanwhile, 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.

Why is the hill significant?

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

The sensitivity of the current issue is heightened by the fact that the lamp is to be lit at a site that also houses a mosque, making the situation particularly delicate.

Political turn

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as part of the Opposition alliance in Tamil Nadu, accused the ruling DMK of anti-Hindu bias and minority appeasement, ANI reported.

DMK allies, meanwhile, accused the BJP of exploiting religious sentiments for political gain, ANI quoted.

With State Assembly elections just four months away, the religious flashpoint is poised to become a major battleground between the BJP and the DMK in the state.

Previous controversies

Thiruparankundram was at the centre of controversy earlier this year, after some Muslim groups demanded that the hill be renamed Sikkandar Hill.

While Hindu outfits and BJP strongly opposed the demand, matters worsened when photographs allegedly showing people consuming meat on the sacred hill began circulating, sparking another political storm, ANI highlighted.