‘Anti-Sanatan’: BJP MP Anurag Thakur attacks Tamil Nadu govt over lathicharge on devotees amid Karthigai Deepam row

BJP MP Anurag Thakur on Friday criticised the Tamil Nadu government over the Karthigai Deepam row and defying the high court ruling on the issue and alleged that it has adopted an “anti-Sanatan” stance. Raising the issue in the Lok Sabha, Thakur said, “I want to raise a very important issue where one state in India has become a symbol of anti-Sanatan Dharma. Their ministers are making statements against Sanatan Dharma,” and added that the situation was such that the devotees had been compelled to seek judicial intervention to access the temple. The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court had recently pulled up the state government and accused officials of ignoring its order on lighting the Karthigai Deepam lamp at Madurai’s Thiruparankundram temple. The court maintained that its directions do not affect the rights of the adjacent dargah and upheld the petitioners’ right to perform the ritual at the designated Deepathoon site.

He further alleged that devotees faced police action during the episode. “Hindus are lathi-charged... Why are Hindus stopped,” he asked the Tamil Nadu government over the treatment meted out to worshippers at the temple.

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TN govt declined to comply with Madras High Court order

The Karthigai Deepam row escalated sharply after the Tamil Nadu government again declined to comply with a Madras High Court order permitting the lighting of the ceremonial lamp at the Deepathoon stone pillar atop Thiruparankundram hills. It was the second defiance, as a division bench rejected the state’s appeal against contempt proceedings initiated for non-compliance.

Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran and several party workers were detained in Madurai during protests against the state government. Over 1,000 police personnel were deployed to stop petitioners and supporters from reaching the hilltop despite the court’s direction.

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High Court bench dismissed state govt’s appeal

The bench of Justices G Jayachandran and K K Ramakrishnan dismissed the state government’s appeal, calling it an attempt to pre-empt contempt action. The bench also upheld single-judge Justice G R Swaminathan’s order allowing petitioners to light the lamp at Deepathoon under CISF protection. The single bench had initiated contempt proceedings after officials facilitated lighting the lamp at Uchi Pillaiyar Temple instead of at Deepathoon as directed on December 1.

The High Court division bench observed that executive orders under Section 162 of the BNSS cannot override judicial directions and said the timing of the prohibitory orders is indicative of a “well-designed act” to avoid compliance.

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After the appeal’s dismissal, Justice Swaminathan resumed contempt hearings and set aside the prohibitory orders issued by the Madurai district administration. He again permitted the lighting of the lamp at the hilltop, this time under the protection of Madurai city police, and warned that “harsh consequences will ensue” if officials continued to ignore the order.

However, officials again blocked access, citing public order concerns while the Tamil Nadu government approached the Supreme Court seeking an urgent hearing on its appeal against the High Court’s orders.