VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has voiced deep concern over the controversy surrounding the lighting of the Karthigai Deepam at Thirupparankundram, the first of the six abodes of Lord Murugan. He described the situation as a troubling example of Hindus being compelled to seek judicial intervention to carry out long-established religious traditions.
In a statement posted on X on Friday, Pawan Kalyan recalled that lighting lamps atop the Thiruparankundram hill during the Tamil month of Karthigai is an ancient custom observed for centuries. He noted that the Madras High Court — first through a single judge and later a division bench — had upheld devotees’ right to light the Deepam, calling it a ‘harmless religious act’ carried out on lawfully owned land.
“It is sad and ironic that today Hindus in Bharat have to seek judicial interventions to practise their faith,” he wrote. “If, even after winning a decisive legal battle, devotees cannot perform a simple, peaceful ritual on their own property, then where in their own country shall they find constitutional justice?”
He stressed that the sanctity of religious observances cannot be altered to accommodate administrative decisions.
“Can any religious festival be moved a week late? Can a holy day’s celebration be shifted to a different time? No. The sanctity of religious time is non-negotiable,” Pawan Kalyan said.
Pawan Kalyan questioned whether any authority could postpone or dilute the essence of Karthigai Deepam, noting that its significance lies in the specific sacred time, which once lost cannot be reclaimed.
Referring to repeated administrative interventions, he asked whether Article 25 of the Constitution — which guarantees freedom of religion — had effectively become optional for Hindus. He further sought clarity on how a practice the High Court deemed harmless could later be labelled a threat to communal harmony.
Pawan Kalyan remarked that mockery of Hindu rituals had become routine for certain groups and asked whether they would dare do the same with other religions.
Reiterating the need for institutional reform, the Deputy Chief Minister emphasised his long-standing demand for a Sanatana Dharma Raksha Board to place temple management in the hands of devotees themselves.