MADURAI: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday said the Thiruparankundram lamp row was politically motivated and misunderstood, while responding to questions from the media in Madurai after visiting the Meenakshi Amman temple.
Referring to the recent statement by Madurai MP S Venkatesan on the issue, Pradhan said, “It is an unfortunate development in this regard despite the Madras High Court having given a clear direction to light a lamp by Hindu Tamil devotees. The people are opposing the decision of the government in the matter.”
The minister said the controversy was being unnecessarily politicised despite clear judicial directions, and stressed that the issue should be viewed in the right perspective.
Commenting on demands for the resignation of Justice G R Swaminathan over the judgment in the deepam row, Pradhan questioned the rationale behind such calls.
He asked why the judge should resign and whether anyone could deny the existence of gods and goddesses such as Shiva and Meenakshi, or seek to remove Tamil culture, language, literature, or the Thirukkural from society.