No Space For Personal Views In Judgements: Madras HC Swaminathan In Viral Video Amid Thiruparankundram Row

An old video of Madras High Court judge GR Swaminathan has resurfaced online, drawing renewed attention amid a wider controversy. In the clip, the judge stresses that personal views have no place in judicial orders.

He acknowledges that debates over issues such as whether temples should be government-run are important and deserve public discussion, but says that when a case comes before him, he will apply the law as it stands rather than impose his own opinions.

Context of the controversy

The resurfacing of the video comes against the backdrop of a dispute in Tamil Nadu over the lighting of a traditional lamp during the Karthigai Deepam festival. Justice Swaminathan had directed authorities to ensure that the lamp be lit at a stone pillar near a dargah atop a hillock at the Subramaniya Swamy temple, acting on a petition filed by a right-wing activist.

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court had earlier issued the order, prompting protests when state officials did not light the lamp at the hilltop and instead followed the longstanding practice of lighting it at the nearby Deepa Mandapam.

Political and public fallout

The judge's order and the subsequent unrest have provoked strong reactions. Over 100 MPs from the INDIA bloc submitted a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking an impeachment motion against Justice Swaminathan. The DMK-led Tamil Nadu government accused the judge of bias in his directive. Clashes between activists and police during the festival underscored the sensitivity of the issue and the potential for communal tensions when religious customs and administrative practices collide.

Past remarks and criticism

This is not the first time Justice Swaminathan has attracted controversy. In 2023 he faced criticism for remarks suggesting that the Constitution's survival was linked to the country's "demographic profile", according to a report in The Print.;

At the time, he was quoted as saying that the Constitution would endure only so long as the demographic profile that existed when it was framed remained intact, and that people belonging to "Bharatiya Dharma and Samprataya" needed to remain within its fold. Those comments drew public rebuke, including from senior political figures who warned about the implications of such a mindset for judicial impartiality.

What the judge said in the video

In the viral clip, Justice Swaminathan is careful to separate broader social debates from judicial duty. He says that while public negotiations and discussions on cultural and institutional questions are legitimate, a judge's role is to interpret and apply the law without inserting personal beliefs. His remarks reiterate a fundamental principle of judicial conduct: that decisions should be grounded in law and precedent rather than individual opinion.