MADURAI: Tamil Nadu BJP chief Nainar Nagenthran was arrested by the police on Thursday when he attempted, along with several other Hindutva activists, to go atop the Thirupparankundram hill here to light the 'Karthigai Deepam' oil lamp on a stone pillar there.
According to police, when Nagenthran and others, including the petitioner Rama Ravikumar, tried to go atop the hill to light the lamp, they were told in clear terms that they will not be permitted.
Also, it was conveyed to them that the government was preparing to go on an appeal against the High Court order that allowed lighting the lamp.
As Nainar and others did not disperse, they were taken in a police van and taken away from the spot that led to the hilltop, which is also close to the Thirupparankundram temple on the foothill. Those detained include Hindu Munnani cadres as well.
However, the petitioner dispersed after arguing with police officials.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami condemned the arrest of Nainar Nagenthran and devotees.
"Does the doll chief minister's government consider itself to be above the judgments of the court? he asked in a statement.
It was "evident" that the DMK regime was aiming at "electoral mileage" by being obstinate despite the Madras HC's Division Bench's directive on the Thirupparankundram issue, the leader of opposition alleged.
Palaniswami demanded the immediate release of those arrested and sought implementation of the court's order.
"People will soon teach a fitting lesson to the Stalin-led government, which is enacting a deceitful drama and has forgotten about being impartial and secular, and it has paved the way for an unnecessary issue," the former chief minister claimed.
Nainar, senior leader H Raja, and other activists/leaders, police said, were lodged in a hall here.
BJP leader Narayanan Thirupathy welcomed the Madras High Court order on the Thiruparankundram issue and demanded the resignation of chief minister Stalin.
After the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court dismissed an appeal, on Thursday, against the order of a single judge allowing the lighting of "Karthigai Deepam" lamp at a stone pillar on the Thirupparankundram hill, housing the Lord Subramaniya Swamy temple, Nainar Nagenthran and members of the Hindutva groups gathered to go atop the hill.
The HC, which quashed the prohibitory orders, directed the police to give full protection for the petitioner Rama Ravikumar to light the lamp on the pillar.
The court had also said that communal harmony was not about preventing someone and restrictions, but it was all about mutual understanding and co-existence.
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government has reportedly preferred an appeal in the Supreme Court over the issue, and it is expected that the plea is likely to be taken up soon.