The DMK managed to rally together the Opposition parties over an issue linked to the lighting of a lamp in the Uchchipillaiyar Temple atop the Thirupparankundram hills in Tamil Nadu's Madurai district.
Published Dec 09, 2025 | 7:45 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 09, 2025 | 7:53 PM
Opposition INDIA bloc leaders, led by DMK's parliamentary party leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, submitting the impeachment motion notice against Justice GR Swaminathan of the Madras High Court to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday, 9 December.
Synopsis: The DMK managed to rally together the Opposition parties over an issue linked to the lighting of a lamp in the Uchchipillaiyar Temple atop the Thirupparankundram hills in Tamil Nadu’s Madurai district. An impeachment notice against Justice GR Swaminathan now has the backing of INDIA bloc allies.
In a move which the ruling BJP termed “unprecedented”, the Opposition INDIA bloc moved an impeachment motion seeking the removal of Justice GR Swaminathan, a judge of the Madras High Court.
The BJP found it “unprecedented” because the Opposition’s move, it said, was against a judge for delivering a judgement in a court of law.
The Opposition MPs questioned Justice Swaminathan’s impartiality, transparency and secular functioning.
The notice said that the House has resolved to “pass the motion for the impeachment of Justice GR Swaminathan of the Madras [High Court] on the following grounds of misconduct:
“It may be one of the rare occasions where a judge is facing an impeachment motion for a judgment delivered in court. A truly unprecedented moment that will shape the conversation around judicial independence and political browbeating for years to come,” BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya said.
Notwithstanding the BJP’s criticism, the move grabbed attention since the DMK managed to rally together the Opposition parties over an issue linked to the lighting of a lamp in the Uchchipillaiyar Temple atop the Thirupparankundram hills in Tamil Nadu’s Madurai district.
Furthermore, DMK’s parliamentary party leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi led the Opposition delegation to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday, 9 December. The delegation comprised the party’s Lok Sabha leader, TR Baalu. Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Prominent among the 107 signatories who sought the impeachment of the judge were deputy leader of the Opposition Gaurav Gogoi, Samajwadi Party’s RK Chaudhary, Supriya Sule of NCP (Sharad Pawar), Arvind Sawant of Shiv Sena (UDT), IUML’s ET Mohammed Basheer and MP Abdussamad Samadani and Asaduddin Owaisi of the AIMIM.
Among others were Aditya Yadav (SP), Raja Ram Singh of the CPI (ML)(L), C Kiran Kumar Reddy, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and G Kumar Naik (INC), and Malwinder Singh Kang (AAP).
The impeachment notice also attached copies of letters the members of both Houses of Parliament had sent to the President and Chief Justice of India.
On 1 December, Justice Swaminathan ordered the lighting of the Karthigai Deepam at the Deepathoon (a stone pillar) near a dargah. The temple had been traditionally lighting the lamp near the Uchchipillaiyar Temple.
The judgement was based on a petition by one Rama Ravikumar. Incidentally, a section of devotees argued that the Deepathoon was actually a boundary stone.
Despite the court order, the lamp was not lit at Deepathoon. Hindu Munnani functionaries took out a march to the Thirupparankundram temple and hill, attempting to lay siege.
When protestors tried to force their way across the barricades, clashes broke out with the police. The situation escalated when some protestors attempted to trek up the hill. Two policemen on duty were injured in the scuffle that ensued.
Subsequently, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court ordered that the petitioner, Ravikumar, along with 10 persons, be allowed to go to the lamp pillar under the protection of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to light the lamp.
Following the unrest, areas including the 16 Pillars Mandapam stretch and Thirupparankundram hill were brought under tight police control to maintain law and order.
Following these developments, a contempt of court case is now underway before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, alleging that the Madurai district administration failed to implement the court’s order.
The notice for impeachment was moved in light of these developments.
