MADURAI: The organiser of the Madurai Social Harmony People’s Federation, Me Tha Pandian, has urged the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court to transfer to a division bench a petition seeking permission to light the Karthigai Deepam at a stone pillar near the Sikandar Badusha Dargah atop the Thiruparankundram hill.
The petition, filed by Rama Ravikumar, who identifies himself as a Hindu propagandist, challenged the Subramaniya Swamy temple authorities’ decision to light the Deepam at the traditional Deepa Mandapam near the Uchipillaiyar temple.
Advocate S Vanchinathan said a similar plea was dismissed in 2014 and upheld by a division bench in 2017, and allowing a single judge to revisit an issue already settled would amount to judicial indiscipline.
Vanchinathan also questioned how the Registry numbered the petition when the petitioner himself had submitted the division bench order concerned at the time of filing.
Also criticising the single judge, Justice G R Swaminathan, for entertaining the petition, they informed that an impleading petition has been filed by one V Aranganathan opposing Ravikumar’s plea, which is likely to be heard again on November 19.
Further claiming that Hindu outfits have planned to conduct a protest in connection with the issue on November 30, Pandian said the federation would also organise a protest highlighting these facts on December 1.