Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has defended the state government’s stand on the lamp lighting controversy at Tirupparankundram temple, saying that personal faith should not succumb to politics. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited and offered prayers at the Arulmigu Subramanya Swamy Temple in Tirupparankundram on Sunday (March 1, 2026), after which this statement of CM Stalin came.
Madras High Court judge Justice G R had ordered the temple administration to light the lamps on Deepthoon only, as per tradition, and not on
Stalin, in a video on his 73rd birthday on March 1, said his government has defended its stand on the controversy over burning of Karthigai Deepam on a stone pillar on Tirupparankundram hill. He said that as Chief Minister he chose to protect the temple tradition and not as a religious leader.
MK Stalin said in the message, ‘I strongly believe that personal faith should not bow before politics. There is no need for an impasse between reason and faith, both are two aspects of society.
After offering prayers in the temple on Sunday evening, Prime Minister Modi addressed an NDA rally in Madurai and fiercely attacked the Stalin government. He accused the government of being ‘insensitive’ towards people’s sentiments over the Tirupparankundram Deepam lighting issue and said that ultimately the devotees would win.
Stalin said in a message issued by his party, ‘Our beliefs may be different but we live on the same land, speak the same language and are moving towards the same future. This is the heartbeat of the Dravidian movement.
Tirupparankundram is a huge hill at a distance of 10 km from Madurai, Tamil Nadu, which is said to be one of the six sacred abodes of Lord Murugan. There is a grand temple at its foothills. On top of this hill is the Sikandar Badusha Dargah, which is said to be of the 17th century. There is a pillar near the Dargah and there is a dispute regarding this pillar.
Some people claim that centuries ago, lamps were lit on this same pillar during the Karthigai Deepam festival in the months of November-December, but the state government says that there is no concrete evidence of such a tradition. Now the lamp is lit in the temple. However, on December 1, Justice G., judge of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court. R. Swaminathan had instructed the temple administration to light the lamp as per tradition on Deepthoon, but the order was not followed and the lamp was lit in the temple itself.
Taking a tough stance, Justice Swaminathan ordered 10 people along with CISF personnel guarding the High Court to symbolically light lamps at Deepthoon on December 3 and directed the temple executive officer and the Madurai Police Commissioner to appear in the court on December 4. However, the state government imposed Section 144 and stopped lighting lamps on Deepthoon. The state government also challenged this decision of Justice Swaminathan in the Supreme Court, now this matter is pending there.
For this decision, 107 members of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha of INDIA block applied to the Speaker on December 9, 2025, demanding impeachment of Justice Swamithan. Three reasons have been given for their removal in the application.
