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Chennai: Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi on Wednesday made sharp remarks on what he termed an “unprecedented” attempt to intimidate the judiciary, referring to recent moves against Justice G.R. Swaminathan of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, who had ordered the lighting of a lamp on Thiruparankundram hill. The Governor stated that such an incident—where a judge was threatened after delivering a verdict—had “never happened in the 75-year history of the country.”
Speaking at an event in Chennai, Governor Ravi said, “An incident like a judge being threatened after delivering a verdict has never happened in our 75-year history. This is a deliberate attempt to undermine the Constitution. This is unprecedented in our history. They attempted to remove the judge who delivered the verdict in the Thiruparankundram case.”
He further advised, “If you are not happy with the High Court order, go to the Supreme Court.”
Thiruparankundram temple case: Background of the case
The controversy stems from a petition filed by one Rama Ravikumar seeking to light a traditional Karthigai lamp on the hilltop pillar at Thiruparankundram, a site of both a Murugan temple and a dargah. After a personal inspection, Justice Swaminathan ordered the lamp to be lit at the designated lamp post. However, on Karthigai day, the lamp was lit near the Uchi Pillaiyar temple instead of the hilltop pillar.
The state government, temple administration, Madurai district collector, police, and the Sikandar Dargah administration appealed the order. Last week, a division bench upheld Justice Swaminathan’s directive.
Political backlash against the judge
Subsequently, MPs from several parties, including the DMK, submitted a memorandum to the Lok Sabha Speaker seeking Justice Swaminathan’s removal, alleging bias and continuous favoritism toward one party. This move drew criticism from several former judges and legal experts, who called it an attempt to intimidate the judiciary.
Governor Ravi’s comments are viewed as a strong defense of judicial independence and a critique of what he perceives as political interference. His remarks are likely to escalate the ongoing tension between the Raj Bhavan and the DMK-led state government over issues of governance, law and order, and now, judicial propriety.
