Tiruparankundram case: Left parties condemn HC judge for Centre's unwarranted intervention

CHENNAI: The CPM and CPI on Wednesday strongly criticised Madras High Court judge GR Swaminathan for adding the Union Home Secretary as a party to the contempt proceedings related to the Tiruparankundram issue, calling it an unwarranted intervention by the Union government in a matter under state jurisdiction.

In a statement, CPM state secretary P Shanmugam said the judge’s order directing the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary, the Additional DGP (Law and Order) and the Union Home Secretary to appear on December 17 amounted to a deliberate attempt to draw the Union government into an issue where the petitioner had not sought its involvement.

He said the move risked further complicating the matter and reflected a pattern in which the judge had issued orders that, in the party’s view, favoured Hindutva groups and threatened to disturb law and order.

The CPM urged the state government to bring the judge’s actions to the attention of the Chief Justice of India.

CPI state secretary M Veerapandian also termed the inclusion of the Union Home Secretary an “alarming abuse of authority” and said the judge’s approach had emboldened groups attempting to communalise the Tiruparankundram dispute.

He criticised the judge for directing the lighting of Karthigai Deepam atop the hill, arguing that it violated secular principles and the Places of Worship Act, 1991.

The Madurai district administration’s Section 144 order preventing the ritual, he said, was necessary to avert law and order issues.

Both parties highlighted that more than 100 MPs had already submitted an impeachment notice against Justice Swaminathan. They urged that no further cases be assigned to him and called for his removal.

The CPM and CPI appealed to secular and progressive forces to unite against attempts by Hindutva groups to exploit the issue and undermine communal harmony in Tamil Nadu.