The Tamil Nadu BJP on Tuesday vehemently condemned the INDIA bloc's move to initiate impeachment proceedings against Justice G.R. Swaminathan of the Madras High Court's Madurai Bench, describing it as a "shameful" attempt to intimidate the judiciary over a routine cultural directive. Over 120 opposition MPs, including Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, DMK MP Kanimozhi, and CPI(M) representatives, submitted a signed letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, accusing the judge of bias and questioning his impartiality in upholding Hindu traditions. The motion, which requires a two-thirds majority in both Houses of Parliament to succeed, highlights deepening rifts between the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government and the judiciary amid escalating communal sensitivities in the state.

The controversy stems from Justice Swaminathan's December 1 order, which directed authorities at the Arulmighu Subramaniya Swamy Temple in Thirupparankundram, Madurai, to light the traditional Karthigai Deepam at a historic deepathoon—a stone lamp pillar—near an adjacent dargah during the festival on December 3. The judge ruled that the ritual, a centuries-old Tamil Hindu practice symbolising light over darkness, fell within temple premises and posed no encroachment on the dargah's rights or the Muslim community's sentiments. When temple officials cited law-and-order concerns and failed to comply, Swaminathan followed up on December 3 by permitting devotees to light the lamp themselves while ordering Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) protection—a decision that prompted immediate backlash from the state government.

Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran slammed the impeachment bid in a post on X, asserting that the DMK-Congress alliance lacked the moral authority to target a judge who had "upheld the cultural rights of Tamils". Party spokesperson Narayana Thirupathi echoed this, accusing the opposition of "anti-Brahmin" bias since Swaminathan belongs to the community and framing the move as classic appeasement politics. "No Muslim opposed the Karthigai Deepam; they cannot, as the property is within temple limits," Thirupathi told NDTV, emphasising that the ritual had been performed uninterrupted for generations without incident. Former BJP state chief K. Annamalai amplified the criticism on social media, labelling the effort as the INDIA bloc "flaunting their anti-Hindu credentials like a badge of honour."

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The Tamil Nadu government, led by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, swiftly appealed the orders to the Supreme Court, which on December 6 agreed to an urgent hearing, staying the High Court directive pending adjudication. The state argued that permitting the lamp-lighting could inflame tensions in the shared sacred space, a hillock revered by both Hindus and Muslims, and accused the judge of overreach by invoking CISF—a central force—without consultation. Protests by Hindu groups ensued, leading to minor clashes with police, further politicising the issue ahead of the 2026 state elections, where religious polarisation could sway voter blocs.

This rare push for judicial impeachment—only the third against a High Court judge since 1993—has ignited debates on the separation of powers and the weaponisation of religion in politics. Legal experts note that while the motion symbolises opposition discontent, its procedural hurdles make success unlikely, serving more as a political signal against perceived judicial overreach. The BJP has vowed to rally support for Swaminathan, portraying the row as a broader assault on Tamil cultural heritage by the DMK's "minority-first" agenda, potentially galvanising their base in the Dravidian heartland.

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