CHENNAI: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday dismissed the controversy over the Thiruparankundram lamp issue as politically motivated, saying the matter had been misunderstood.
Speaking to mediapersons after visiting the Meenakshi Amman temple here, Pradhan said the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court had delivered a clear and decisive verdict permitting Hindu-Tamil people to light lamps.
Reacting to Madurai MP Su Venkatesan’s criticism of the judgment, he termed it unfortunate to question a categorical ruling of the High Court. He alleged that the criticism was politically driven and said people were opposing attempts to politicise the issue.
Responding to demands for the resignation of Justice G R Swaminathan, Pradhan said such arguments reflected a misunderstanding, asking whether anyone could deny the existence of temples, including Rameswaram.