MADURAI: Attempts to stir controversy over the Thiruparankundram issue are being made by outsiders, despite the matter being settled in courts, said retired Madras High Court judge D Hariparanthaman here on Friday. Addressing the media, he pointed out that the Places of Worship Act had frozen the status of religious sites across the country.
"It would have been an issue only if Muslims had started a new practice of kanthuri or performed animal slaughter near the Subramaniya Swamy Temple in Thiruparankundram. However, neither happened in this instance," he said, adding there are no religious issues between the people of Thiruparankundram.
Drawing parallels from Tamil Shaiva traditions, the retired judge noted that animal sacrifice has existed in various forms across religious practices. "Even during ear-piercing and head-shaving ceremonies, animal sacrifice is observed. The Kamakhya temple in Assam still follows the practice of bull sacrifice, where the head of the animal is placed before the deity. Can the BJP stop this practice in a state where they are in power?" he asked.
He accused the Union government of fueling similar issues in places like the Kashi Vishwanath temple, the Krishna temple in Mathura, and the Sambhal mosque, despite the Supreme Court repeatedly intervening to maintain peace.
Senior advocate S Vanchinathan highlighted a state government argument in the Madras High Court based on the district collector’s report, which confirmed that kanthuri had been practiced for centuries. Retired archaeologist Dr C Santhalingam spoke of Thiruparankundram as a Jain site and the presence of Jainism during the early days of the temple’s origin.