The Tamil Nadu government will be moving the Supreme Court against the Madras High Court's order allowing the lighting of a lamp on the lamp pillar (deepathoon) in Thiruparankundram hill, Law Minister Raghupathy said. The high court's ruling was a huge setback for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government, which staunchly opposed the move.
The Tamil Nadu government and the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department will file an appeal in the Supreme Court against the High Court order to light a lamp on the lamp pillar on the Tiruparankundram hill, Tamil Nadu Law Minister Raghupathy said.
The DMK minister said lighting a lamp on the pillar was never part of the state's custom, and there is no precedent for it. Raghupathy argued the High Court passed the order without looking for any evidence. "Earlier, during the regimes of Rajaji, Kamaraj, MGR, Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi, no one had asked for a lamp to be lit on a lamp post. When this demand came up during Jayalalithaa's regime, the court denied permission to light a lamp on the pillar.
The Tamil Nadu minister said the culture of the state must be protected, and it is completely wrong to grant permission to light a lamp on the pillar just because some requested it. Raghupathy said the state has every right to move the Supreme Court against the decision.
Calling the Tamil Nadu government's arguments "ridiculous", the Madras High Court upheld a single judge's order allowing the lighting of a lamp on the Thirupparankundram hill on Tuesday.
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A Division Bench of Justices G. Jayachandran and K.K. Ramakrishnan delivered the judgment, making it clear that the spot on which the stone pillar (Deepathoon) is located belongs to the Sri Subramania Swamy Temple.
"It is ridiculous and hard to believe the fear of the mighty state that by allowing representatives of the Devasthanam to light the lamp at the stone pillar near the top of the hill located within its territory of Devasthanam land, on a particular day in a year, will cause disturbance to public peace. Of course, it may happen only if such a disturbance is sponsored by the State itself. We pray no State should stoop to that level to achieve their political agenda," the high court bench said.
