'Politicised Unnecessarily': Madras HC Permits Karthigai Deepam On Thiruparankundram Hilltop
The Madurai High Court upheld permission for Karthigai Deepam at Thiruparankundram hill, saying the long-running dispute was politicised unnecessarily.
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has upheld a single judge’s order allowing the lighting of the Karthigai Deepam at the stone pillar on Thiruparankundram hill in Tamil Nadu, effectively ending a controversy that had persisted for several years. The ruling brings clarity to a dispute that had sparked repeated objections and administrative hesitations around the conduct of the ritual at the historically significant site.
Court Upholds Single Judge’s Order
The division bench, comprising Justice G. Jayachandran and Justice K.K. Ramakrishnan, dismissed the appeals challenging the earlier directive and affirmed that the ritual could be carried out at the stone pillar on the hill. While delivering the verdict, the bench observed that the issue had been “politicised unnecessarily,” noting that the prolonged conflict had gone beyond legal considerations and entered the realm of avoidable public controversy, as per a report on NDTV.
The Court observed that the district administration ought to have treated the issue as an opportunity to promote communal harmony by encouraging discussions and mediation between the concerned groups. It underlined that since the hill is classified as a protected monument, any activity carried out there must strictly comply with the provisions of the applicable law.
In its clarification, the Court allowed the ceremonial lamp to be lit, while making it clear that public involvement would be restricted and would require prior consent from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
The matter arose from a petition filed by Rama Ravikumar, president of the Hindu Tamil Party, who had sought approval to light the Karthigai Deepam on the pillar at the hilltop.
(More details awaited)
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