CM Stalin lashes out at BJP over Deepam row calls it “cheap politics,” demands development focus

In a speech delivered on 7 December 2025, M. K. Stalin strongly condemned what he termed “cheap politics” by the BJP over the controversial Karthigai Deepam lighting at Thiruparankundram hill in Madurai. He accused the opposition of using religious ritual and court order disputes to stir communal tension when citizens truly want infrastructure and development, not polarising drama.

Stalin invoked the ancient Tamil epic Silappathikaram and its heroine Kannagi to remind people of Madurai’s historic image as a city that upheld justice and social harmony. He stated that the Deepam controversy is an attempt to undermine that heritage, warning that upcoming elections should not turn the temple city into a battleground for “communal politics.”

Instead of lamp-pill row theatrics, Stalin asked: what Madurai really needs — metro rails, an AIIMS hospital, jobs, modern infrastructure or politics over faith. He urged citizens to judge on substance, not slogans.

What sparked the row and why it matters

The controversy began when a division bench of the Madras High Court permitted devotees to light the Deepam at the traditional stone-lamp (“Deepathoon”) atop Thiruparankundram hill a site adjacent to a dargah.

However, the state government and police denied permission on grounds of maintaining law and order.

Supporters of the government including Stalin claim that reviving the lamp ritual at that spot threatens communal harmony. They insist the dispute is being exploited by fringe groups for political gains ahead of elections.

Given Madurai’s upcoming infrastructure-project proposals — including metro rail, AIIMS hospital, and developmental investments many view the Deepam row as more than ritual discord: a crucial test of whether religion or progress will define the city’s future.

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