"DMK not implementing order, tried to suppress it": Rajnath Singh slams Stalin govt over Thiruparankundram Deepam case

Tenkasi (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 19 : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday slammed the Tamil Nadu government over the Thiruparankundram Deepam case, asserting that DMK and its allies were "not implementing the order" and had tried to suppress it.

Ahead of the April 23 state Assembly election, Singh urged the Tamil Nadu people to vote for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, and the party would ensure that the sacred tradition of lighting the Karthigai Deepam is restarted.

Addressing the public here, the Defence Minister said, "I know how faithful the people of our Tamil Nadu are. If anyone tries to eliminate Sanatan Dharma, they will automatically fall from the public's sight."

His remarks come on the issue related to the traditional lighting of the Karthigai Deepam at the Deepathoon (lamp pillar) located on Thiruparankundram Hill in Tamil Nadu, as the state government objected to the lamp lighting, citing security concerns, but the Madras High Court later directed that the ritual be allowed to proceed, rejecting the state government's objections.

Launching a frontal attack on the MK Stalin-led DMK government and its allies, he added that the state government had deprived the devotees of the Subramanya Swamy Temple of their right to worship.

"The Tamil Nadu government is depriving the devotees of the Subramanya Swamy Temple of their right to worship. The Tamil Nadu police stopped and arrested devotees who were going to light the Karthigai Deepam, even though the court had clearly ordered that the tradition of lighting the lamp at Thiruparankundram be allowed," Singh added.

The Defence Minister further said, "Even after this, the DMK government and its allies are not implementing the order and have tried to suppress it. I assure you that after the formation of the NDA government here, we will ensure that the sacred tradition of lighting the Karthigai Deepam is restarted here again. This is your right, and this is the guarantee of the BJP."

The Defence Minister today holds a roadshow in support of the BJP candidate Ananthan Ayyasamy from the Vasudevanallur Assembly Constituency.

Tamil Nadu will go to the polls in a single phase on April 23, with counting scheduled for May 4.

In the Vasudevanallur constituency, E Raja is the candidate representing Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). Anandhan Ayyasamy is contesting from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and R Amudha Rani is the candidate for Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), while Esai Mathivanan is representing Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK).

Vasudevanallur is an important legislative assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu's Tenkasi district. According to the 2026 electoral rolls, it has approximately 227,369 registered voters, including around 110,960 men, 116,396 women, and 13 third-gender electors.

The constituency is known for closely fought elections, often witnessing strong competition among major parties. This time, the race is shaping up to be a high-stakes triangular contest, with DMK's Raja facing BJP's Anandhan Ayyasamy and TVK's R Amudha Rani.

In the 2021 assembly elections, the seat was won by MDMK's Sathan Tirumalaikumar, who defeated AIADMK candidate Manoharan by a very small margin.

The main contest is expected between the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, which includes the Congress, DMDK and VCK, and the NDA led by AIADMK, with the BJP and PMK as allies.

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