The Madurai district administration clamped prohibitory orders in the temple town of Tirupparankundram late Wednesday evening amid protests by Hindu outfits to permit lighting of the Karthigai Deepam lamp at the ‘dheepathoon’ (pillar) atop the hill, close to a dargah, as directed by Justice G R Swaminathan of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court.
High drama continued till 9 p.m. when armed with an order passed by the judge in a contempt of court case, the litigant and members of Hindu organisations, accompanied by CISF personnel from the High Court, arrived to go atop the hill to light the lamp. However, Madurai City Police Commissioner J. Loganathan, citing the law-and-order situation and the imposition of Section 163 of BNSS (Section 144 of Cr.P.C) in the Tirupparankundram zone by District Collector K.J. Praveen Kumar, stopped the petitioners from entering the secured area.
Mr. Loganathan informed the petitioners that earlier in the evening the Hindu organisations had created tension in the area by gathering in large numbers and trying to damage public properties, which led the district administration to clamp to pass the 144 order.
“To control the crowd and to ensure peace in the area, we have prohibited anyone from entering the hill itself,” he added. Further, he said the state has filed an appeal against the single judge’s order and hence the police cannot permit them to go the hills , so they could not permit anyone until the matter was taken before the court.
