DMK MP Targets The Judge Over Karthigai Deepam Controversy In Lok Sabha; Remarks Expunged

The Lok Sabha on Friday turned into a battleground between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as members clashed over the controversy surrounding the lighting of the Karthigai Deepam at the Arulmigu Subramania Swamy temple in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.

The issue, already a flashpoint in the state, spilled into Parliament after DMK MP T.R. Baalu made a contentious remark against a Madras High Court judge who had permitted devotees to light the traditional lamp despite opposition from the Tamil Nadu government.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju strongly objected to Baalu's statement, arguing that it amounted to casting aspersions on the judiciary. He reminded the House that parliamentary debate must maintain decorum and adhere to rules.

"In the history of our parliamentary democracy, we have upheld the discipline of avoiding disparaging remarks. We are not opposed to what he wants to express, but he cannot use unparliamentary language," Rijiju said. Addressing Baalu directly, he warned, "This will lead to unnecessary trouble - not only for you, but for your party as well."

The uproar unfolded during Zero Hour, a period when the government is not obliged to respond immediately, but members of the Treasury Benches intervened to counter the Opposition's allegations. Baalu, while speaking on the matter, referred to the High Court judge as an "RSS judge," sparking outrage across the House.

Presiding officer Krishna Prasad Tenneti later ordered that Baalu's remark be expunged from the record. "The matter is sub judice. You referred to an honourable judge with an inappropriate label. This is withdrawn and deleted. We cannot refer to any judge in such terms," he ruled. Baalu, however, refused to retract, insisting that the judge had himself acknowledged links to the organisation.

The controversy stems from Justice G.R. Swaminathan's December 1 order allowing devotees to light the Karthigai Deepam, a ritual considered sacred by many Hindus. The Tamil Nadu government contested the decision, citing concerns over law and order. When the ritual was not carried out on December 3, clashes broke out between Hindu organisations and police personnel, leading to allegations of contempt of court and intensifying political tensions.
In Parliament, Baalu accused certain groups of deliberately inflaming the situation.

"A particular group belonging to a particular political party is creating communal clashes. The Government of India should address the issue," he said.

Responding for the government, Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs L. Murugan accused the DMK-led state administration of religious discrimination. "The Tamil Nadu government is targeting a particular community and obstructing worshippers. They are destroying law and order in that area. The DMK government functions only for vote-bank politics," Murugan charged.

The exchange underscored how a local religious dispute has spiralled into a national confrontation, with both sides accusing each other of communal bias and political opportunism. As contempt proceedings remain pending in court, the Karthigai Deepam issue is likely to continue reverberating in Tamil Nadu's political landscape and in the national discourse.