TN Guv concerned over attempts to undermine judiciary, says judge intimidated

Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi on Thursday expressed concern over alleged attempts to undermine constitutional institutions such as the judiciary and claimed a judge was intimidated for granting permission to light lamp on a stone pillar atop the Tiruparankundram hill in Madurai.Though there were avenues to challenge the High Court order, perverse politics played, and a judge was intimidated, he said.Unfortunately, there are forces in the country that are trying to undermine peoples confidence in the independence of the constitutional institutions.

Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi on Thursday expressed concern over alleged attempts to undermine constitutional institutions such as the judiciary and claimed a judge was ''intimidated'' for granting permission to light lamp on a stone pillar atop the Tiruparankundram hill in Madurai.

Though there were avenues to challenge the High Court order, ''perverse politics played,'' and ''a judge was intimidated,'' he said.

''Unfortunately, there are forces in the country that are trying to undermine people's confidence in the independence of the constitutional institutions. When a judgment comes in their favour, its fine, and if it doesn't, then they start accusing the judiciary,'' he said.

Referring to the Thiruparankundram lamp lighting case judgment in which judge G R Swaminathan permitted the lighting of lamps on Deepathoon (stone pillar) on Karthigai Deepam festival in December 2025, the Governor said instead of implementing the court order, the state ''exercised all its might to prevent it.'' The temple authorities and local administration had challenged the court verdict claiming that lighting the lamp near a dargah would cause communal conflict, while a section of devotees sought contempt proceedings against the officials for non-compliance of the December 1 order of the single judge.

On January 6, a division bench of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court comprising Justices G Jayachandran and K K Ramakrishnan, settled the lamp lighting row by upholding Justice Swaminathan's order on lighting the lamp. The court observed that the state's argument on communal disturbance was ''an imaginary ghost.'' Speaking at a conclave on ''Indian Republic @ 75," held at SRM Institute of Science and Technology, here, Ravi said ''never before our country witnessed such a scenario.'' ''When you are unhappy with the High Court order, then approach the higher court or the Supreme Court. The court said that the state did not allow the lighting of the lamp on imaginary ground.'' ''This blatant attempt to undermine the constitutional institution never happened in the history of India. They attempt to intimidate the judge by moving the impeachment motion. Perverse politics played and a judge and the entire judiciary were intimidated,'' the Governor claimed.

Without naming anyone in particular, Ravi claimed forces undermining the institutions like the Election Commission of India and the judiciary were being ''systematically challenged not through constitutional means but by creating a sense of fear and wrong perception among the people.'' Expressing serious concern over unprecedented attempts to undermine constitutional institutions, he cautioned against forces attempting to erode public trust in the judiciary, electoral institutions, and other bodies. Such actions struck the nation's self-confidence and threatened the very foundations of the republic, he argued.

Earlier, over 3,000 persons participated in rendering the Vande Mataram at the conclave.

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