Referring to the move to impeach a sitting Madras High Court judge over his verdict in the Tirupparankundram temple issue, Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi made a hard-hitting attack, saying some forces are working to undermine public confidence in the judiciary.
Addressing a conclave on Indian Republic at 75 at SRM University on 8 January, Governor Ravi said the judiciary was being challenged not through constitutional means but by creating fear among people. He said that in 75 years of the country’s history, he had never seen a demand for the impeachment of a judge over a verdict on such a matter.
At the “Conclave on Indian Republic @ 75,” held at SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Governor Ravi highlighted India’s democracy—civilisational in spirit, constitutional in form—robust, stable and vibrantly functional. Rooted in millennia of tradition, it is upheld by… pic.twitter.com/ZXxulGQd3c
— LOK BHAVAN, TAMIL NADU (@lokbhavan_tn) January 8, 2026
Justice G R Swaminathan of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, on December 1, ordered the lighting of a lamp atop the stone pillar on Karthigai Deepam day. However, the DMK government refused to honour the verdict and enforced prohibitory orders under Section 144.
Despite initiating contempt proceedings, setting deadlines, and ordering CISF personnel to accompany ten devotees, including the petitioner, to light the lamp, the police did not allow them and threatened imprisonment. Appeals filed in the matter were dismissed by a division bench. The state government also approached the Supreme Court with what was described as a defective petition, allegedly to gain time.
Through social media, the DMK and its allies launched a vituperative campaign against the single judge. Caricatures in bad taste were circulated, and he was accused of being an RSS man, with attacks made on his caste and community. The division bench judges who upheld the same order were not targeted.
After failing in all attempts, DMK MPs, along with members of the I.N.D.I.A bloc, signed an impeachment petition against Justice G R Swaminathan.
Governor Ravi said the move was aimed at tarnishing the judge’s image and sending a message to other judges that verdicts against certain interests would invite similar attacks.
In this background, Governor Ravi said that even chanting “Vetrivel Muruganukku Arohara” had been portrayed negatively, and warned that such forces were working towards anarchy and weakening people’s confidence in the judiciary and institutions like the Election Commission of India.
He said that despite Bharat completing 75 years as a Republic and being a robust and vibrant democracy, there were attempts to undermine confidence in institutions and national symbols of unity such as Vande Mataram.
Praising the PM-led NDA government, Ravi said India had recorded multiple achievements. He cited the successful G20 presidency, counter-terror operations demonstrating decisive action against attacks, and the government’s role during the COVID-19 pandemic in producing and distributing vaccines to other nations, which he said helped save billions of lives.
Governor Ravi said Tamil Nadu was among the largest beneficiaries under the PM Mudra Yojana, a flagship NDA scheme that provides collateral-free loans of up to Rs 20 lakh to non-corporate, non-farm small and micro enterprises.
Emphasising the role of youth, he said young people must reach their optimum potential. Recalling V O Chidambaram Pillai’s opposition to the partition of Bengal and the blank newspaper pages during the Emergency, Ravi said any attempt to undermine democracy would be thwarted.
