After being detained, TN BJP President Nainar Nagendran accused CM Stalin of using the Karthigai Deepam row for vote bank politics. He slammed the DMK govt for defying a court order to light the sacred lamp on the Tirupparankunram hilltop.
BJP Accuses CM Stalin of 'Vote Bank Politics'
Following the detention of several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in connection with the Karthigai Deepam row, Tamil Nadu BJP President Nainar Nagendran on Sunday accused Tamil Nadu Chief Minister of using the Tirupparankunram temple-mosque issue for vote bank politics. Nainar Nagendran was detained in Madurai Tirupparankunram on Thursday by the Tamil Nadu police.
Speaking to reporters, Nainar Nagendran said, "The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu always tells lies because he is focused only on the party's voting patterns. Yesterday was the memorial day of BR Ambedkar. He told really bad things in Madurai. His party people are criticising the court decision, which is not good. CM has the capacity to take action against those who are criticising the justice system. In Karthigai Deepam row, there's no issue on the Thiruparankundram hilltop; no Islamic people are against us. But only the CM is against this."
Reacting to CM Stalin's statement that the "flame of equality" lit by Periyar in Madurai would burn forever, Nagendran said that as an individual, he respected the Chief Minister. "He is a good human being, but I cannot say the same about his governance. The court had permitted the lighting of the lamp based on the law. Instead of respecting that, Section 144 was imposed, which amounts to contempt. The CM is exploiting the matter politically. There was no situation where Muslims would be affected simply because of lighting a lamp. This is purely a vote-bank strategy," he said.
Legal Accountability Demanded
Reacting to the actions against BJP leaders, Nagendran said, "The Madurai Collector, police officials and the Chief Minister were wrong. Legally, they must be held accountable." He added that the BJP would decide its further course of action based on court proceedings.
K Annamalai Slams 'Anti-Hindu DMK Government'
Earlier, Tamil Nadu BJP leader K Annamalai launched a scathing attack on the DMK government, demanding the immediate release of all those detained and insisting that the "anti-Hindu DMK government implement the court's orders" without further defiance. This comes after chaos erupted around the Thiruparankundram hilltop Subramaniya Swamy Temple in Tamil Nadu's Madurai district when devotees were stopped from lighting the sacred Karthigai Deepam lamp atop the temple hill.
Sharing a post on X, Annamalai wrote, "The anti-Hindu DMK government has once again willfully defied the court's order by preventing devotees from lighting the sacred Karthigai Deepam lamp atop the Thiruparankundram temple hill. Vehemently condemn the TN Police for the arrest of@BJP4TamilNaduState President Thiru@NainarBJPavl, senior leader Thiru@HRajaBJPavl, and other functionaries while peacefully attempting to uphold the court's directive and honour the tradition."
"With Section 144 already quashed by the Honourable Court, the continued obstruction by the DMK regime amounts to a blatant contempt of judicial authority. We demand the immediate release of all those detained and insist that the anti-Hindu DMK government implement the court's orders without further defiance," the BJP leader later added. Earlier on Thursday, in a post on X, the BJP Tamil Nadu handle wrote that the Tamil Nadu Police had arrested the state president, Nainar Nagendran, who had gone to Thiruparankundram. "The Tamil Nadu Police have arrested our state president, Mr Nainar Nagendran, who went to Thiruparankundram. The Tamil Nadu government, which prides itself on the Dravidian Model under Stalin's leadership, is also arresting those who went to worship Murugan at the temple. The Tamil Nadu Police and the Stalin government are unleashing repression on Murugan devotees and creating anarchy, the post read.
The Unrest During Karthigai Deepam
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the unrest unfolded during the Hindu festival of Karthigai Deepam, a celebration symbolising the triumph of light over darkness. Trouble began on Wednesday when activists from right-wing groups clashed with police after state government officials failed to light the sacred lamp at the hilltop stone lamp pillar.
Hill's History of Religious Coexistence
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court had earlier directed that the lamp must be lit at the hilltop temple itself. For centuries, Thiruparankundram hill has been regarded as a centre of religious coexistence and communal harmony. The hill houses the historic Subramaniya Swamy Temple, the Kasi Viswanathar Temple, and the Sikkander Badusha Dargah, a 17th-century mosque built long after the temples came into existence.
Earlier this week, acting on a petition filed by a right-wing activist, Justice GR Swaminathan ordered state authorities to ensure that the sacred lamp was lit atop the hill. However, government officials viewed this as a break from the longstanding practice of lighting the lamp at the nearby Deepa Mandapam, a ritual followed for several years. Consequently, officials lit the lamp at the Deepa Mandapam on Wednesday, adhering to the traditional practice instead of the court's directive.
The non-compliance triggered strong reactions. Large groups belonging to Hindu outfits confronted the police, alleging that the High Court's directive was deliberately ignored. The court had permitted the petitioner, along with ten others and security personnel, to ascend the hill and light the lamp. But as crowds swelled and tensions rose, the police assessed the situation as unsafe. To enforce the court order, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) had been deployed. However, fearing a further escalation of tensions, police prevented both the petitioner and CISF personnel from reaching the hilltop. (ANI)
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