DMK, BJP members face-off in Lok Sabha over ‘Karthigai Deepam’ at Thirupparankundram temple

The issue of lighting a traditional lamp at a hilltop temple near Madurai shook the Lok Sabha on Friday, December 5, 2025; DMK leader T R Baalu ​​accused the BJP of trying to “ignite” communal tensions in Tamil Nadu and Union Minister L Murugan hit back at the Tamil Nadu government for “denying the right to worship”.

DMK members stormed the Lok Sabha Well and tried to raise the issue of illumination of ‘Karthigai Deepam’ on the stone lamp post at Thirupparankundram hillock near Madurai, forcing the postponement of Question Hour.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Mr. Baalu ​​accused the BJP of trying to “ignite” communal tensions in Tamil Nadu and alleged that the Madras High Court judge, who allowed lighting of the lamp at the ‘Deepathoon’ stone lamp pillar on the Thirupparankundram hillock, owed allegiance to a particular ideology.

“Who should turn on the deep light at the top? The representative of the Hindu Religious Endowments Board or some miscreants who took the decision from the judge of the Madras High Court?” asked Mr. Baalu.

Mr Baalu’s reference to the high court judge’s ideology triggered a strong reaction from Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, who maintained that the DMK leader could not cast aspersions on the judiciary and urged the president to delete the remarks.

Parliament minutes dated 5 December 2025

Hitting out at the DMK, BJP leader and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs L Murugan accused the Tamil Nadu government of denying devotees the right to worship at the Arulmighu Subramaniya Swamy Temple.

While Mr. Murugan was speaking, some DMK members walked towards the Rijiju seat and encouraged TDP member Krishna Prasad Tenneti, who was on the seat, to appeal to the protesting members to lock themselves in the Well.

“The state government is targeting a particular community and the law and order of that area is being disrupted,” Mr. Murugan said in Tamil.

Mr. Murugan said that the Tamil Nadu Police arrested the devotees who proceeded to the temple to light the ‘Karthigai Deepam’ at Thirupparankundram, as per the order of the Madras High Court and accompanied by CISF personnel.

“Tamil Nadu Police stopped the worshipers and even arrested them. The Tamil Nadu BJP president was also arrested,” the Union Minister said.

The Supreme Court on Friday, December 5, 2025, agreed to hear the Tamil Nadu government’s appeal against the Madras High Court order allowing devotees of the Arulmighu Subramaniya Swamy Temple to light the traditional ‘Karthigai Deepam lamp’ at the ‘Deepathoon’, a stone lamp pillar located atop the Thiruparankundram hill near a dargah.

The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court on Thursday dismissed the intra-court appeal filed by the Madurai district collector and city police commissioner and upheld the single judge order allowing devotees to light the Karthigai Deepam lamp at Deepathoon.

On December 1, a single judge bench of Justice GR Swaminathan had ruled that Arulmighu Subramania Swamy Temple has the duty to light the lamp at Deepathoon in addition to the traditional lighting near Uchi Pillaiyar Mandapam.

He said doing so would not infringe on the rights of the neighboring dargah or the Muslim community.

When the order was not implemented, the single judge passed another order on December 3 allowing devotees to light the lamp themselves and directed the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to ensure their protection.