In a single focus of denying and confusing in the Thiruparnkundram lighting lamp case, the DMK govt, HR and CE, Jains and now the Waqf Board are playing their cards against majority Hindus. Shifting their stand from ‘it is a survey stone, Jain’s lighting post and now it belonged to the Waqf Board’, despite clear orders on the title of the land. It is only a game plan of gaining time, thereby preventing the Hindus from lighting the lamp at the top of the hill. Now it is slowly dying down and will only get life during next year’s Deepam festival. By that time, the State Assembly polls would be over and it is for the next government to worry about it.
On 15 December, a Division Bench of Justice G Jayachandran and Justice KK Ramakrishnan was hearing appeals filed by the Hazarath Sultan Sikkandar Badhusha Avuliya Dargah, the Tamil Nadu government, the HR&CE Department, and other parties opposing the single judge’s directions. The single judge had earlier held that the stone pillar was not located on land belonging to the Muslim community and that lighting a lamp at the pillar would not infringe upon their rights. Counsel for HR and CE, N Jothi, said, “The petitioners cannot ask Karthigai Deepam to be lit at every pillar,” adding, “What’ll happen if order is allowed. It says light lamp at two places. Does it happen anywhere? Murugan may have two wives but light should be lit at one place only.”
Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) Akhil Bharatiya Joint General Secretary Sthanumalayan said that during arguments in court, advocate Jothi had made a remark stating that “Murugan may have two wives, but the lamp can be lit only at one place,” which he alleged was made in a mocking manner. Sthanumalayan said, “Jothi was being paid by the HR&CE Department using funds contributed by Hindu devotees,” and accused him of insulting Hindu deities while representing a department meant to protect temples. He said, “It is like using the hands of Hindus to harm Hindus themselves. He has accepted money from Hindu devotees and then spoken in a manner that demeans Hindu gods.”
Senior advocate N Jothi appearing for Joint Commissioner HR&CE department says the pillars does not belong to Hindus. Says they were used by sages residing on the hills (used to live away from public) for lighting at night and were not meant for Karthigai Deepam.…
— Anagha Kesav (@anaghakesav) December 15, 2025
Hindu Munnani State spokesperson AT Elangovan said, “The anti-Hindu mindset of the DMK has come out clearly through Jothi’s words. No one can insult Bhagwan Murugan more than this.” He questioned whether Jothi would dare make similar remarks about deities of other religions and said the court should take note of such comments that demean Hindu gods.
Jothi claimed that the pillar was installed by Jains and did not belong to Hindus. There were similar pillars in Madurai district, one in Samanar Hills near Keelakuyilkudi and at Shravanabengloa in Karnataka. Digambarars (one of the ascetic sects of Jainism) who came from Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh to Madurai used to live in the Tiruparankundram hill. They would assemble in the evening and light the lamp at the stone pillar (it is a fact that after night Jains would not move out of their places).
The entire argument of the Hindu side in the Thiruparankundram is presented in the set of tweets below:
* Every time, it is a retreat for the Hindus and conceding more space to the other side.
* The authorities who are expected to protect all rights equally and fairly, vilify… pic.twitter.com/lb5zhkCVsT— Badri Seshadri (@bseshadri) December 17, 2025
Responding to counsel for the HR&CE Department, who reportedly asked if lamps could be lit on two pillars because “Murugan has two wives”, BJP leader K Annamalai said, “We demand that the State government kneel before the Murugan devotees and apologise. They should apologise just for presenting this argument,” adding, “this was viewed as the opinion of the DMK government. They are not asking for all pillars, they are only asking for the deepathoon.”
Counsel for the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board, R Abdul Mubeen, told the court that the stone pillar atop the Tiruparankundram hill is situated in an area belonging to the Sikandar Badusha Dargah.
போன வாரம் சர்வே கல்…!!
மூனு நாளைக்கு முன்னாடி சமணர்கள் ஓய்வெடுக்கும் இடம்….!!
இன்னைக்கு தர்கா தூண்…!!
இல்ல நம்ம எல்லாம் பார்த்தா கேண.. பு..மாதிரி தெரியுதா..??? pic.twitter.com/Qt5eDPIb2s
— н α я ι (@Hari46620091) December 16, 2025
Citing a judicial order passed in a civil suit in 1920, he said there were findings that the flight of stairs from Nellithoppu to the hill belonged to the dargah.
The land where the Deepam pillar stands belongs to the Dargah, says the Waqf Board in court.
DMK + Waqf vs Hindus is no longer a hidden agenda.
This is proof that Waqf can try to claim anything.😤
Am glad that the Waqf Act was implemented by the BJP before it was too late.🗿 pic.twitter.com/u5kRz14HoV
— Sanghi Prince 🚩 (@SanghiPrince) December 16, 2025
Counsel for the Madurai District Collector and Police Commissioner stated that in the earlier orders passed by the HC in 1996 and 2014, there is no mention of the deepa thoon at all. They said the deepa thoon is a figment of the single judge’s imagination or the petitioner’s imagination, to which the single judge latched on and passed the order, saying the very purpose of the deepa thoon is to light the deepam. They asked where the evidence is to show that the pillar is a deepathoon.
Counsel for the Tamil Nadu government, senior advocate Vikas Singh, argued that Justice Swaminathan had “created a religious right where none exists” and had travelled far beyond the limits of judicial authority. “What is this ‘additional’ lamp and where does it come from?” He said, “There is no agama, no shashtra, and no legal material to support this claimed religious right,” adding that the court would soon see how unfortunate the situation was, and that the judge would be seen contesting an election “very soon”. These remarks evoked sharp criticism, and counsels from the other side strongly opposed them.
BJP leader K Annamalai, in a press meet on December 16, accused the DMK government of intentionally instigating religious discord over temple practices and predicted significant electoral repercussions in the 2026 Assembly polls. He said, “The attempt to change the name of the hill to Sikandar Malai, after the court gave its verdict, [they] say they will not respect it and are unilaterally creating disorder and problems. Certainly, this will reflect in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections.”
Annamalai said, “When the verdict was given on December 1, the Dargah did not appeal on December 2, nor did they appeal on the 3rd. Only after the 4th did the DMK instigate and bring the Dargah forward. This truth is known to all the people of Tamil Nadu.”
Critics question, “DMK and counsels appearing are hiding the fact. According to the Privy Council verdict, the entire hill belongs to Bhagwan Subramanya Swamy Temple. It is several centuries old, but the Dargah was built only in the 18th century. How could they claim rights over the land?”
